The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will implement revised regulations on the classification and ranking of non-bank payment institutions from February 1, 2026, as a basis for strengthening periodic compliance assessments.
The announcement issued on December 31 stated that PBOC branches will use the classification and ranking results to comprehensively assess various aspects of payment organization compliance and submit preliminary assessment reports according to a fixed annual schedule.
- The revised regulations on the classification and ranking of non-bank payment organizations will take effect from February 1, 2026.
- The PBOC branch assesses compliance based on classification and rating results.
- The preliminary assessment report must be submitted to the PBOC before June 30th of each year.
The new regulations will take effect from February 1, 2026.
The People's Bank of China (PBOC) requires that the classification and ranking of non-bank payment institutions, starting February 1, 2026, be carried out according to the revised version of the Administrative Measures.
The announcement stated that the classification and ranking mechanism will serve as the official reference framework for supervision. From this point onwards, payment organizations subject to regulation need to be prepared to meet the criteria and procedures outlined in the new regulations.
Compliance assessment criteria and reporting deadline: June 30th
PBOC branches must incorporate classification and ranking results to assess the compliance of payment institutions and submit a preliminary assessment report to the PBOC before June 30th each year.
The areas requiring assessment include: corporate governance, business practices, reserve fund management, consumer protection, system security, anti-money laundering measures, and operational soundness. Reports and results must be submitted in the form of formal correspondence.
