​From PAN to SBI Card: 8 money rule changes from April 1, 2026, that taxpayers, bank customers should know​

Several important financial and banking rule changes will come into effect on April 1, 2026, the first day of the Financial Year 2026-27. These money rule changes could impact taxpayers, debit and credit card users, bank customers and digital payment users. Individuals may need to take note of these updates to avoid inconvenience or paying additional charges. Here’s a look at some of the key financial changes taking effect on April 1, 2026.

File updated Income Tax Return (ITR-U) if you have missed to report any income, missed filing any ITR or applied the wrong rate of tax. Though you need to pay additional tax, penalty, etc., for filing ITR-U, you may expose yourself to scrutiny by the Income Tax Department if you don’t file ITR-U.

Applicants can apply for a PAN Card using only their Aadhaar card until March 31, 2026. From April 1, 2026, onward, additional documents will be required to apply for PAN. This makes it the last opportunity to get a PAN easily through the Aadhaar-based authentication process. From April 1, 2026, your name on the PAN card will be as it is on your Aadhaar card. Applicants should ensure their Aadhaar details are correct.

SBI Card has announced various changes to its reward points redemption policy, impacting how customers can convert reward points into statement credit. The revised rules are effective from April 1, 2026, according to a notice published on SBI Card’s website.

HDFC Bank has announced several updates that will impact its customers, including changes to lending rates, fixed deposit interest rates, ATM withdrawal rules and locker charges. Some of these changes have already come into effect, while others will be implemented from April 1, 2026.

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the revision of the FASTag annual pass for the Financial Year 2026–27. The increased fee will be applicable from April 1, 2026. NHAI has announced the revision of the applicable fee for the FASTag annual pass from the current Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,075 for the Financial Year 2026–27.

RuPay Platinum debit cardholders will no longer be able to enter airport lounges (domestic and international) and train lounges from April 1, 2026, just because they have the card. Lounge access will continue but will be strictly spend-based starting April 1, 2026, for select debit cards. Customers will need to meet spending criteria specified by their issuing bank to qualify for airport or railway lounge access benefits.

Several banks, including HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bandhan Bank have announced modifications to ATM cash withdrawal policies, fees and restrictions. The revised changes will take effect on April 1, 2026.

The RBI says that all digital payment transactions in India are required to meet the norm of two factors of authentication. While no specific factor was mandated for authentication, the digital payment ecosystem has primarily adopted SMS-based One Time Password (OTP) as an additional factor. These directions will come into effect on April 1, 2026, unless stated otherwise for specific provisions, the RBI says in a statement.