Sent money to the wrong person? Start here
In brief: Save the receipt and RRN/UTR. Raise an issue against the payment in your app and notify your bank in writing immediately. You cannot personally cancel a completed UPI transfer, and recovery is not guaranteed.
Check whether the payment is Successful, Pending or Failed before choosing a complaint category. Do not send another payment to supposedly unlock the refund.
1. Identify the type of transaction
A payment you authorised to the wrong recipient is a wrong-beneficiary transfer. Do not describe it as unauthorised merely because you now want it back.
A pending or failed payment needs a status investigation and the applicable reversal process. Failed-payment refund timelines should not be assumed to cover a successful transfer to the wrong person.
Report transactions made without your permission, or payments induced by deception, promptly through your bank’s official fraud channel. Describe what actually happened and use the official cybercrime reporting route where appropriate.
2. Preserve the evidence
Keep the amount, date, time, status, transaction ID/RRN, sender bank and recipient UPI ID displayed in the receipt. For a bank transfer, preserve the UTR and available beneficiary account and IFSC information.
Save the receipt, statement entry and every complaint acknowledgement. Share complete records only through secure bank channels. Never publish another person’s account details, and never disclose your PIN, OTP or CVV.
3. Complain through the app and your bank
Open the payment in transaction history and use the available Help or Raise issue option. Choose the category that matches the facts. Names of menus vary between apps. Keep the ticket number and the response timeline.
Send a written wrong-beneficiary complaint through your bank’s official app, website, branch or verified grievance channel. Request transaction tracing, coordination with the beneficiary bank and a written update on recovery steps.
If you know the recipient, you may politely request repayment. Do not threaten strangers or rely on a screenshot as proof of repayment: check the credit in your own statement. A bank cannot simply debit another customer’s account outside the applicable authority and process.
The standard UPI HELP dispute option may not support a successful person-to-person transfer. If unavailable, use the payment app’s official support and your bank’s wrong-beneficiary route. Do not mislabel a successful transfer as Failed to submit a complaint.
Google Pay: incorrect transfer help · NPCI: UPI HELP guidance · Axis Bank: wrong-beneficiary UPI dispute
4. Use the NPCI complaint route for UPI
Visit NPCI’s official UPI Dispute Redressal or Register a Complaint page. Select UPI and the available category appropriate to the transaction. Enter the requested amount, date, bank, RRN and accurate supporting details.
Do not select a failed-payment or merchant category for an unrelated person-to-person error. If there is no suitable option, ask your bank for the correct route instead of submitting misleading information. Portal fields may change.
NPCI facilitates routing complaints to the relevant member institution. It does not promise to reverse every mistaken transfer itself. Preserve the reference and follow up with the bank.
FACT: A successful UPI payment does not have a customer stop-payment option. Reporting starts a recovery request; it does not create an automatic refund entitlement.
5. Wrong NEFT, RTGS or IMPS bank transfer
Contact your bank immediately with the UTR and incorrect beneficiary details. Ask it to raise the appropriate recovery or recall request. A UPI complaint page is not a substitute for the NEFT or RTGS complaint route. For IMPS, use the bank’s relevant payment-dispute channel.
Ask whether the money was credited, rejected or returned. A correct beneficiary name does not make an incorrect account number safe. Request written clarification about the next steps.
If the recipient refuses repayment or ownership is disputed, seek legal advice proportionate to the facts and amount. A complaint about the bank’s service deficiency is different from a recovery claim against the recipient.
6. Escalate an unresolved bank complaint
Use the bank’s grievance or nodal officer channel and attach earlier reference numbers. There is no universal promise that every mistaken transfer must be refunded or escalated within 24 hours.
Under the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme effective from 1 July 2026, complain to the regulated entity first. If its reply is unsatisfactory, or there is no reply within 30 days or the applicable RBI/NPCI/card-network period, whichever is longer, an eligible service complaint can be taken to RBI CMS.
The filing window is 90 days from expiry of that applicable period or the entity’s last communication, whichever is later. Attach your original complaint, response, transaction evidence and requested relief. The process is free; admissibility and outcome depend on the case.
RBI: Integrated Ombudsman Scheme 2026 FAQ · RBI CMS: complaint portal
Copyable bank complaint
Subject: Wrong-beneficiary transfer recovery request — RRN/UTR [number]
On [date/time], I mistakenly transferred ₹[amount] to [recipient UPI/account details]. The transaction status is [status]. Please trace the payment and initiate the appropriate recovery process with the beneficiary bank. Please provide an acknowledgement number, applicable timeline and written action update. Receipt attached. Name: [name]. Contact: [registered contact].
This is a general complaint template, not a legal notice. Send sensitive details only through the bank’s secure channel.
Frequently asked questions
Is a refund guaranteed within 24 hours? No. Recovery of a successful mistaken payment depends on investigation, the recipient’s response and the applicable process.
Should I enter my UPI PIN to receive a refund? No. Entering a PIN can authorise a debit. Do not approve a collect request or make a QR payment to obtain a refund.
Will NPCI definitely recover the money? No. Its complaint facility is not a refund guarantee.
Should I wait 30 days before reporting? No. Report immediately to the app and bank. The waiting-period condition concerns RBI Ombudsman escalation.
Where should I find customer support? Use verified contact information in the bank’s own app, website, card or statement.
Advice before your next transfer
Recheck the beneficiary’s UPI ID or account number and displayed name. A small test payment can help before a large transfer to a new beneficiary. Keep complaint records and avoid anyone charging a refund-unlocking fee.
Disclaimer: General information, not individual legal or financial advice. Confirm current procedures with your bank and official sources.
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