Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) are designed to bring discipline and consistency to investing. However, when these automated payments fail, the costs can quietly add up, undermining both returns and financial planning.
Most SIPs in India are linked to a NACH (National Automated Clearing House) mandate, managed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This system allows asset management companies (AMCs) to automatically debit instalments from an investor’s bank account on pre-set dates, removing the need for manual intervention. While convenient, this automation comes with a hidden risk: penalties for failed transactions.
Every time a SIP instalment fails due to insufficient balance, banks may levy charges ranging between Rs 250 and Rs 750 per failed debit, along with 18% GST. These charges are applied per transaction, not per day, a crucial detail many investors overlook.
The impact can be significant if multiple SIPs are scheduled on the same date, pointed mutual fund observer Bala Gorade. For instance, if a bank charges Rs 500 per failed debit and five SIPs fail on a single day, the penalty amounts to Rs 2,500. Including GST, this rises to Rs 2,950. In effect, an investor could end up paying nearly Rs 590 as a penalty on a Rs 1,000 SIP instalment, defeating the purpose of systematic investing.
If your SIP runs via a NACH mandate, every failed debit can cost ₹250-₹750 + GST.
Now imagine this:
You have set up 5 SIPs through ICICI Bank
Due to some reason, balance is low… all 5 bounce…
ICICI Bank charges ₹500 per bounce.
That’s ₹2,500 in charges.
+ 18% GST =… pic.twitter.com/LcyRKg9Xna— Balu Gorade (@BaluGorade) April 8, 2026
Beyond the immediate financial hit, repeated failures can disrupt long-term compounding. Missing instalments delays wealth creation, particularly in equity mutual funds where consistency is key. Frequent debit failures may also affect mandate reliability and, over time, strain the investor’s banking relationship.
A NACH mandate is essentially a one-time authorisation that allows auto-debits up to a predefined limit. Each mandate is assigned a Unique Mandate Registration Number (UMRN) and remains valid for several years unless cancelled. Investors can choose between e-NACH, a paperless option authenticated via net banking or debit card, and physical mandates, which require signed forms and take longer to activate. A One-Time Mandate (OTM) further simplifies investing by allowing multiple SIPs without repeated approvals.
ALSO READ: Can Rs 20,000 SIP Make You Crorepati? Here’s How Long It May Take
Once registered, the system automatically debits the account on scheduled dates. However, this also means that if there is insufficient balance on the due date, the transaction fails instantly and attracts penalties.
How To Fix It?
Investors can take simple steps to mitigate these risks. Maintaining a buffer balance in the linked bank account is essential, especially if multiple SIPs are scheduled close together. Staggering SIP dates across the month can reduce the likelihood of multiple failures on a single day. Setting reminders ahead of debit dates also helps ensure adequate funds are available.
Another important consideration is setting a higher mandate limit. This allows investors to increase SIP amounts in the future without needing fresh approvals, reducing administrative friction.
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