How to invest in NPS account online?

In an earlier post, I had discussed how you can open NPS account online using your Aadhaar card.

In this post, we will look at how you can contribute your NPS account online.

If you have opened your NPS account through a bank or any other Point of Presence (PoP), you can simply make a contribution online from the net-banking portal. Alternatively, if you have opened through a broker such as ICICIDirect, in that case too, you can make NPS contribution online from the broker website.

Many NPS subscribers have opened their accounts through their employers (Government or corporate). In those cases, I have seen some confusion about how to make a contribution to NPS online.

In this post, I will talk about the method to invest online in your NPS account irrespective of how you opened your NPS account.

How to invest online in NPS? How to contribute to NPS Account online?

1. Go to eNPS portal (https://enps.nsdl.com/eNPS/NationalPensionSystem.html)
2. Click on Contribution. 

3. You will be asked to enter your PRAN and Date of Birth.

4. A One-Time password (OTP) will be sent to your registered mobile number and e-mail.
5. You need to enter the OTP and press Submit.
6. You will come to a page where you need to specify the NPS Account (Tier-I or Tier-II) and the contribution amount.
7. You can subsequently make the payment.

Point to Note

1. No PoP contribution charges will be applicable.
2. However, PoP service charges will be applicable at 0.05% of the Contribution amount (subject to a minimum of Rs 5 and a maximum of Rs 5,000). The PoP services are applicable to only those subscribers who opened their account through a PoP. No such charges shall be applicable if you opened your account through eNPS using Aadhaar.
3. Payment Gateway charges will be applicable. The quantum of charges will depend on the mode of payment.
   1. Net Banking: Rs. 0.6 + 18% GST,
   2. Debit Card: 0.8% of the transaction amount + 18% GST,
   3. Credit Card: 0.9% + 18% GST
4. Clearly, if your intent to invest through eNPS is to save on charges, in that case, you must pay through Net Banking portal. Payment through debit or credit card will be quite expensive.

Read: What are the various charges in NPS?

An Alternate Way to invest online in your NPS account

Under the above method, you didn’t have to log into your NPS account to contribute to your account.

You can also log into your NPS account on CRA website.

1. You need to select Login with PRAN/IPIN. Alternatively, you can directly use the following link (https://cra-nsdl.com/CRA/)
2. You need to log in as Subscriber.
3. You need to click “Contribute Online”.
4. You will be taken to Step (3) in the previous method. Subsequently, you need to follow the same process.

Do note that the aforementioned online contribution methods will work only for those subscribers whose Central Record Keeping Agency is NSDL. Recently, Karvy also joined as the second CRA. You will have to follow a similar process on Karvy website in case your CRA is Karvy.

Please understand that I am merely highlighting the process to make online investments in NPS. This, is no way, shall be construed as a recommendation to invest in NPS.