Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019, Point of Sale Payments, 13 February 2019
The Office of the Head of the Registration Department, Chennai, issued Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019 dated 13 February 2019 to introduce credit card and debit card payments through Point of Sale machines at all Sub-Registrar Offices from 18 February 2019. It changes the earlier payment arrangement by requiring stamp duty, registration fees and other charges up to ₹1,000 to be collected only through a Point of Sale machine, with no cash collection.
What the circular changes
Registration Department Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019 dated 13 February 2019 changes how smaller payments are collected at Sub-Registrar Offices. It applies to people paying stamp duty, registration fees or other government charges, including property buyers, document presenters and professionals handling registrations.
From 18 February 2019:
- Payments up to ₹1,000 must be collected only through a Point of Sale machine.
- Credit cards and debit cards may be used through the Point of Sale facility.
- Registration offices must not collect any fee in cash.
- State Bank of India supplies the Point of Sale machines for all Sub-Registrar Offices.
A government letter referred to in the circular had allowed cash collection up to ₹1,000, bank drafts up to ₹5,000, and online or direct bank payments without a limit. The new Point of Sale requirement replaces cash collection for payments up to ₹1,000.
Receipts and payment recording
Registration Department Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019 requires the Point of Sale machine to produce two receipts after collecting a payment.
- One receipt must be given to the person making the payment.
- The other receipt must be retained by the office.
- The office must enter the receipt's RRN number in the STAR 2.0 software and generate the departmental receipt.
- Point of Sale collections are credited to the State Bank of India nodal account and transferred on the following day to the appropriate account head at the Reserve Bank of India.
- Each account must show Point of Sale collections separately.
Registration officers are instructed not to collect the same amount a second time. At the end of each day, the office must print the machine's collection total, check it against the individual receipts and retain the records together.
Wrong payments, refunds and expiry
Registration Department Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019 says that a person who paid incorrectly, did not obtain the service, or wants a refund must follow the procedure contained in the earlier departmental instructions referred to in the circular. The circular does not reproduce that refund procedure.
An incorrectly paid amount may instead be used for another document. If the service is not obtained within one year after payment through this method, the payment expires and cannot be refunded.
District Registrars and Deputy Heads of the Registration Department are instructed to monitor implementation of the Point of Sale system.
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Common questions
Can I pay registration charges of ₹1,000 or less in cash at a Sub-Registrar Office?
No. From 18 February 2019, stamp duty, registration fees and other charges up to ₹1,000 must be collected only through a Point of Sale machine, and cash must not be accepted.
Will I receive proof of a Point of Sale payment?
Yes. The machine generates two receipts, one for the person paying and one for the registration office. The office must also record the RRN number in STAR 2.0 and generate a departmental receipt.
Can a payment made by mistake be used for another property document?
Yes. Circular Na.Ka.No.6128/C/2019 permits an incorrectly paid amount to be used for another document.
What happens if I do not use the paid registration service within one year?
A payment made through this method expires if the service is not obtained within one year. The circular states that the expired amount cannot be refunded.
