CAT 2026 Category-Wise Registration Fee

The fee is based on category, not gender. A General, EWS or NC-OBC applicant pays INR 2,700; the INR 1,350 charge applies to SC, ST and PwBD applicants. EWS and NC-OBC reservation does not carry the reduced CAT fee.

The category declared in the application must be supported by the applicable certificate. The CAT reservation rules and qualifying marks are separate questions: the fee concession does not replace academic eligibility.

CAT Fee Payment Deadline

New registrations ended on 22 September 2026 at 5 PM. Candidates already registered by then could complete payment until 24 September at 5 PM. The extra two days were not a fresh application window.

The later correction window did not allow unpaid candidates to complete payment. For the sequence from registration to admit card, see CAT application dates and steps.

Payment Modes and Transaction Charges

CAT 2026 used BillDesk for payment. Available methods included cards, net banking, UPI and wallets/cash cards. The registration guide displayed these convenience charges for the supported methods:

The debit-card rate depends on transaction value. At the standard INR 2,700 exam fee, the listed Visa/Mastercard debit-card bracket is above INR 2,000; the INR 1,350 category fee falls in the lower bracket. UPI funded from a bank account is distinct from UPI funded through a credit card or wallet.

These are gateway charges, not a change to the category fee. The final payable amount is the amount shown by the payment screen for the selected method; the table does not treat all UPI funding sources as free.

How Payment and Application Confirmation Worked

Payment followed completion of the application sections. In the Declaration section, applicants previewed the form, accepted the required declarations and payment terms, entered the captcha and submitted the form to the BillDesk gateway.

After a successful payment, the screen showed Payment Successful and a Payment Transaction Number before returning to the CAT application. Confirmation was also sent by email and SMS. The application summary then provided a read-only view, and the Download Application tab supplied the submitted form.

A bank debit and a successfully submitted application are not interchangeable records. If the debit appears but the CAT confirmation is missing, check the candidate dashboard and use the grievance facility with the transaction reference. The CAT login guide covers access to the registered-candidate account.

Refunds and Applying to Multiple IIMs

The CAT registration fee is non-refundable. Choosing not to appear for the exam does not create a refund entitlement under the CAT fee rule.

You pay the CAT fee once, irrespective of how many IIMs you select in the application. Selecting additional IIM programmes does not multiply this exam charge. That does not make all later admission steps common: each programme has its own eligibility and selection process, and non-IIM institutions accepting CAT have their own applications.

The exam fee should therefore not be confused with an MBA application charge, seat-acceptance payment or tuition fee levied by a particular institution.

Payment Problems and CAT Helpdesk

For a missing confirmation, failed transaction or application-processing problem, open the Grievance tab inside Registered Candidate Login. Click the plus button, choose the relevant issue and describe what happened. Up to three supporting files may be uploaded.

Use the User ID, Payment Transaction Number and bank transaction reference to identify the payment. The guide asks candidates to wait at least two working days for a ticket response. That response time is not a promised bank-reversal deadline.

The IIM academic office handles eligibility and category questions, not payment processing. If the bank shows an extra debit, retain both transaction references and raise the specific issue; the non-refundable exam-fee rule does not by itself explain the status of an unsuccessful or duplicate transaction.

1. Category-Wise Fee
2. Payment Deadline and Extension
3. Gateway Charge Comparison

1. Proof of Successful Submission
2. One CAT Fee: What It Covers
3. Unconfirmed or Failed Payment