How to Link Your Aadhaar Card to Your Bank Account Online: A Step-by-Step Guide
Linking your Aadhaar card to your bank account has become a crucial task today. This is essential for receiving government scheme benefits, as funds are typically disbursed to your Aadhaar-linked bank account, ensuring timely receipt. Many individuals face issues when their bank account isn't linked to Aadhaar or becomes inactive. This guide offers an easy online method, allowing you to link your bank account to your Aadhaar from home in just 5 minutes, eliminating the need to visit the bank.
Why Linking Aadhaar to Your Bank Account is Essential
Government schemes often send benefits directly to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts. When your Aadhaar is correctly linked, these funds arrive in your account promptly. However, if your bank account is not linked to your Aadhaar or becomes inactive, you may encounter problems receiving these vital benefits.
Checking Your Aadhaar-Bank Linking Status
Before linking or changing your bank account, it's crucial to check its current Aadhaar mapping status. This helps determine if an account is already linked or if a fresh linkage is required.
To check your status:
- Open your browser and search for "NPCI" or navigate to the official National Payment Corporation of India website. The official link can often be found in video descriptions or pinned comments.
- On the NPCI portal, locate the "Customer" option in the menu section and click on it.
- Select the "Bharat Aadhaar Seeding Enable (BASe)" option. This portal allows you to link your bank account, check its status, and view past linking history.
- To check your current status, click on the "Aadhaar Mapping Status" option.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and the displayed captcha code.
- Click on the "Check Status" tab. An OTP will be sent to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar card.
- Enter the OTP and click "Confirm."
If a bank account is already linked, its details will be displayed, including the bank name and the last update date. For instance, an Indian Bank account might show as previously linked with a last update date of 12/2021. The "Mandatory Flag" indicating "Yes" (Y) means benefits will be sent to this account. If it shows "No" (N), the account may be inactive, and you will not receive benefits.
How to Link or Change Your Aadhaar-Bank Linkage Online
If you need to link a new bank account or change your current Aadhaar-linked account (e.g., shifting from one bank to another), follow these steps:
- On the BASe portal, select the "Aadhaar Seeding/De-seeding" option.
- Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Choose your desired action: "Seeding" to link an account, or "De-seeding" to remove a previously linked account. Select "Seeding" to link.
- From the provided list, select the name of the bank where you want to link your Aadhaar card. For example, if your account is with Punjab National Bank, select it.
- Choose the "Seeding Type":
- Fresh Seeding: If no previous entry was found during your status check, select this for a first-time linkage.
- Same Bank with Another Account: If you have another account in the same bank and wish to link Aadhaar to that new account instead of the existing one.
- Movement from One Bank to Another Bank: If you are shifting your Aadhaar linkage from a previously linked bank (e.g., Indian Bank) to a new bank (e.g., Punjab National Bank), select this option.
- Carefully enter your bank account number twice in the "Account Number" and "Confirm" sections.
- Accept the terms and conditions by clicking the "By submitting" option.
- Fill in the captcha code and click "Submit."
- A terms and conditions page will appear; click "Agree and Continue."
- An OTP will be sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number for linking verification. Enter this OTP and click "Confirm."
- A pop-up will confirm your request to shift the Aadhaar linkage (e.g., from an Indian Bank account to a Punjab National Bank account). Click "Confirm."
- A success message will appear, indicating that your Aadhaar number has been successfully linked to the new bank account.
Verifying the Updated Aadhaar-Bank Linkage on NPCI Portal
After submitting your linking request, you can immediately verify if the change has taken effect on the NPCI portal:
- Go back to the "Aadhaar Mapping Status" option on the BASe portal.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and the captcha code.
- Click "Check Status."
- Enter the OTP received on your phone and click "Confirm."
You will now see that your bank account linkage status has updated. For instance, it will show Punjab National Bank as linked, along with the current date, and the "Mandatory Flag" will be "Yes." This confirms that government benefits (Direct Benefit Transfer - DBT) will now be credited to this new account.
Cross-Verifying Your Bank Seeding Status on the UIDAI Portal
To further confirm that your Aadhaar-bank linkage is updated in real-time, you can check the official UIDAI portal:
- Visit the official My Aadhaar portal at myaadhaar.gov.in.
- Click on the "Bank Seeding Status" option.
- Enter your Aadhaar number and the captcha code.
- Click "Login with OTP."
- Enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
The "Bank Seeding Status" page will display your updated bank account linkage. For example, it will show your new Punjab National Bank account linked as of today's date, confirming that future government benefits will be deposited into this updated account.
This online method allows you to link or change your Aadhaar-bank account linkage conveniently from home, a task that previously required a bank visit. This ensures you receive all government benefits promptly in your preferred bank account.
