CAT Application Fee by Category

General, EWS and NC-OBC applicants paid INR 2,700; SC, ST and PwBD applicants paid INR 1,350. The concession depends on category, not gender. An EWS or NC-OBC certificate does not qualify a candidate for the reduced exam fee.

The declared category must be supported by the required certificate. Fee concessions and academic eligibility are separate: the CAT eligibility rules determine the qualifying degree and marks, while the category fee determines the examination payment.

BillDesk processed payments through supported cards, net banking, UPI and wallets/cash cards. Gateway charges were additional to the category fee. The detailed payment-mode charge table distinguishes bank-account UPI from credit-card or wallet-funded UPI.

Application and Payment Deadlines

New registration ended on 22 September 2026 at 5 PM. Candidates registered by that time received a payment-only extension until 24 September at 5 PM. The extra payment period did not reopen new registrations.

The 5-6 October correction window covered the photograph, signature and test state/city preferences. It was not a late-fee or unpaid-application window. The CAT application page explains the completed registration sequence.

How to Check Payment and Submission

A successful payment displayed a Payment Transaction Number before returning to the CAT application. Confirmation was sent by email and SMS, and the submitted form became available in the candidate account.

A bank debit only shows that money left the account. It does not establish that the CAT application reached its successful submission state. If the two records disagree, describe that discrepancy in the grievance rather than treating a bank statement as an admit-card confirmation.

Use Registered Candidate Login to view the application. Password recovery uses the registered email address. The downloaded application and payment reference are useful records when a support agent needs to trace the transaction.

Failed Payment, Duplicate Debit and Helpdesk

Open the Grievance tab inside the candidate login, select the relevant issue and describe what happened. Include the User ID, amount, transaction date and gateway or bank reference. Up to three supporting files can be attached.

The registration guide asks candidates to allow at least two working days for a grievance response. That is a support-response period, not a guarantee that a failed debit will be reversed within two days. A duplicate or unsuccessful transaction needs its own status check.

The technical candidate helpdesk is 1800 210 0175, Monday-Saturday, 9 AM-6 PM, excluding holidays. Academic eligibility and category-certificate questions belong to the academic helpdesk; payment processing belongs to the candidate grievance route.

Refund Rule and Fees Beyond CAT

The CAT fee is non-refundable. Choosing not to appear after a successful application does not create a refund entitlement. A bank transaction that failed or was charged twice is a separate payment-status issue, not the same as withdrawing a valid application.

The CAT fee is paid once irrespective of the number of IIMs selected. It does not buy a common admission decision: IIM programmes have their own eligibility and selection criteria, and participating non-IIM institutions handle their own admissions.

Keep an institute's application fee, seat-acceptance amount and tuition separate when budgeting. Do not carry an older college fee into the current admission cycle without checking that institute's current application terms.

1. Application Fee
2. Final Payment Dates

1. Check Submission Records
2. Resolve a Transaction Issue
3. CAT Fee and Admission Payments