EPFO 3.0: Centralised database, UPI and ATM withdrawal options, quicker settlement — Changes for subscribers, explained

The Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) is a government-backed investment and retirement savings option in India. Salaried individuals are eligible to open an EPF account when basic pay and dearness allowance are up to ₹ 15,000. You can further opt for voluntary provident fund (VPF), if the basic pay and DA exceed ₹ 15,000 per month.

For FY26, the Centre ratified the EPFO's suggestion of 8.25% interest rate for both EPF and VPF and interest credits were completed in July, PTI reported. This marked the third consecutive time the instrument delivered 8.25% returns on provident fund.

Today, we explore the new EPFO 3.0 rollout which seeks to expand the retirement fund body's digital services and online presence through an updated system that will allow subscribers to undertake paperless withdrawal or transfer of provident fund.

The exercise is envisioned to cut down wait time for EPF claims and make it easier for members to access their funds. EPFO 3.0 seeks to eliminate processing delays by allowing subscribers to access and transfer their PF directly through the unified payments interface (UPI) and UPI-enabled automated teller machines (ATMs).

After the roll-out, EPF subscribers will be able to process direct transfer of funds to their bank accounts through the UPI payment gateway. As part of this move, the Ministry of Labour and Employment said the EPFO in July completed migration of its member database to a centralised platform under the Centralised IT Enabled Services ( CITES ) project. This replaces the previous decentralised structure with a single national database.

At present you have to raise a request for full or partial withdrawal on the website or on site by filling the appropriate forms. Once your claim is processed, the money is usually transferred to your bank account within 15-20 days. There is no specific deadline specified. Under EPFO 3.0, subscribers:

Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.

Jocelyn Fernandes is a journalist and editor with nearly 13 years of experience covering the business, corporate, economy and markets beats in news.<br> As chief content producer for around three years at Livemint (Hindustan Times), Jocelyn publishes breaking stories, explainers, features and live blogs on a range of business and economy topics, including the Budget, corporate developments, stock markets, income tax, money and personal finance, cryptocurrency, government policy, impact of US tariffs, international developments and more.<br> Jocelyn's writing philosophy is focused on delivering news in an accurate and accessible format for readers.