PFRDA Clarification: CRA Charge Structure 2026

Circular No: PFRDA/2026/23/REG-CRA/01 | Dated: 29 April 2026

Overview

The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has issued new clarifications regarding the Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC) and PRAN opening fees levied by Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRAs) for various pension schemes.

Key Changes to Annual Maintenance Charges (AMC)

• Tier II Alignment: AMCs for Tier II accounts are now aligned with Tier I accounts of the respective sector. However, Tier II accounts with a corpus up to ₹1,000 at the end of a quarter will incur no AMC.
• Separate Scheme Billing: Each pension scheme within a PRAN is treated as a separate account, and AMCs are applied to each separately for both Tier I and Tier II.
• Asset Valuation: The applicable AMC is determined based on the total corpus available in the account at the end of each quarter.

Dormant Account Regulations

Reduced Charges: Accounts flagged as "dormant" will only be charged 10% of the standard AMC.

Defining Dormancy: An account is considered dormant if no contributions are received for four consecutive quarters. The flagging of these accounts is set to begin on 1st July 2026.

Reactivation: Once a contribution is received, the account will be flagged as "active" in the first week of the following quarter.

PRAN and Special Schemes

• PRAN Generation: Charges for PRAN opening apply only during the initial generation. There is no charge for activating Tier I or Tier II accounts within an existing PRAN.
• APY & NPS-Lite: Accounts under Atal Pension Yojana (APY) and NPS-Lite with a NIL balance will have a NIL AMC.

Fee Collection Method

CRAs will collect charges at the end of every quarter. This is done either through direct invoices to employers (where applicable) or via unit deductions from the subscriber's account.

Download Official Circular (PDF)

Source: Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority

⚠️ Disclaimer

Educational Purpose Only: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only.

Accuracy & Mistakes: While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, human errors or omissions may occur.

No Liability: Under no circumstances shall the author or this website be held liable for any loss arising from the use of this information.

Are you a Central Government Employee?

Don’t stay in the dark! Vital updates on Service Rules, Pension policies, and your career are happening right now.

Add as Preferred Source on Google

Follow us to ensure our latest exclusive reports appear first in your Google Search and Discover feed.