UPI error B3: Transaction not permitted to the account (example: minor account, proprietor account, legal case against this account etc., NRE (as per bank’s policy))
Raised by: Bank / PSP. Source: NPCI, UPI Error and Response Codes v2.9.
What it means
The bank doesn't allow this kind of payment from this account. NPCI's list gives examples: minor accounts, proprietor accounts, accounts under a legal case, and NRE accounts, as per the bank's policy.
No.
Business: the systems worked and declined the payment.
What you should do
Ask your bank what the account can be used for, or pay from a different account.
If you run a payments business
Offer another account or method.
Related codes
If it still isn't sorted
- Raise a complaint inside your UPI app. Every UPI app has a help or dispute option on the transaction, and it goes into NPCI's online dispute system. Keep the UPI transaction ID or RRN handy.
- If the app doesn't resolve it, contact your bank's grievance desk with the same reference.
- If your bank hasn't replied within 30 days, or you're not happy with the reply, complain to the RBI Ombudsman at cms.rbi.org.in. It's free.
Technical or business decline?
NPCI splits declines into two kinds. A technical decline means a system didn't respond or failed: a bank offline, a timeout, a switch error. A business decline means the systems worked and said no, for a reason about the account or the payment: wrong PIN, not enough money, a limit, a risk check. Retrying helps with some technical declines and almost never with business ones.