Payment System OperatorPSO

A PSO runs the rails rather than serving end customers. Its functions include operating clearing houses, payment switches, card networks and schemes, QR networks and other systems through which participating institutions exchange and settle payment instructions.

PSOs are licensed under the Payment and Settlement Act, 2075 and NRB's licensing policy for payment-related institutions, and are overseen by NRB's Payment Systems Department. The policy keeps PSO and PSP licences separate so that an operator of shared infrastructure does not compete with its own participants.

Examples in Nepal include Nepal Clearing House Limited (which operates ECC, NCHL-IPS, connectIPS, the National Payment Switch and NEPALPAY QR), Fonepay, and domestic entities of international card schemes. Because a failure in a large PSO can disrupt the whole payment system, NRB oversees PSOs for settlement risk, operational resilience, cybersecurity and governance, and large systems are treated as systemically important payment systems.

Under NRB's licensing policy, a payment system operator needs minimum paid-up capital of Rs 40 crore, or Rs 80 crore if payment instruments issued in Nepal can also be used for payments outside Nepal. Operators licensed before the rule must reach it by the end of Asar 2085.

PSO ले अन्तिम ग्राहकलाई होइन, भुक्तानीको पूर्वाधार चलाउँछ: क्लियरिङ हाउस, भुक्तानी स्विच, कार्ड नेटवर्क, क्युआर नेटवर्क आदि जसमार्फत सहभागी संस्थाले भुक्तानी निर्देशन आदानप्रदान र फर्छ्यौट गर्छन्।

PSO भुक्तानी तथा फर्छ्यौट ऐन, २०७५ र नेपाल राष्ट्र बैंकको इजाजत नीतिअनुसार इजाजत पाउँछन् र भुक्तानी प्रणाली विभागले निरीक्षण गर्छ। नेपाल क्लियरिङ हाउस लिमिटेड (ECC, IPS, connectIPS, राष्ट्रिय भुक्तानी स्विच, NEPALPAY QR), फोनपे तथा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय कार्ड स्किमका स्वदेशी संस्था उदाहरण हुन्। ठूलो PSO असफल भए सम्पूर्ण भुक्तानी प्रणाली प्रभावित हुने भएकाले फर्छ्यौट जोखिम, सञ्चालन निरन्तरता र साइबर सुरक्षामा कडा निगरानी गरिन्छ।

राष्ट्र बैंकको अनुमति नीतिअनुसार भुक्तानी प्रणाली सञ्चालकको न्यूनतम चुक्ता पुँजी रु ४० करोड र नेपालमा जारी भएको भुक्तानी उपकरणमार्फत नेपाल बाहिर समेत कारोबार हुने गरी सञ्चालन हुने संस्थाको रु ८० करोड हो। यो व्यवस्था लागू हुनुअघि अनुमतिपत्र लिएका संस्थाले २०८५ असार मसान्तसम्ममा यो पुँजी पुर्‍याउनुपर्छ।