Businesses can now use UPI, debit or credit cards for paying Customs duty on the ICEGATE portal, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has said.
The CBIC in a circular said ICEGATE e-Payment platform has enabled ‘Payment Aggregator’ as an authorised mode to facilitate customs duty payment.
ICEGATE essentially functions as the digital backbone of Indian customs and acts as an interface through which importers and exporters file documents, track clearances, and discharge duty payments. While the system has evolved significantly over the time, the payment mechanism remained largely anchored to a limited set of authorised banks and conventional channels such as net banking and NEFT/RTGS.
“With the rollout of a payment aggregator on ICEGATE, duty payments are no longer confined to specific banking channels. Businesses can now use UPI, debit or credit cards, and access a significantly wider banking network bringing a greater degree of ease and convenience in making paymen