Is KYC mandatory?
Yes — MeitY Online Gaming rules require KYC at first deposit. Practice contests are free; paid contests require KYC.
The FanCode wallet uses a hard KYC gate at first deposit. PAN verification, bank or UPI binding, and age verification all happen before the wallet is unlocked for paid contests. The compliance posture follows MeitY Online Gaming rules.
Documents required
- PAN card Mandatory. The PAN is the primary KYC document and the operator retains a redacted copy under MeitY guidelines.
- Aadhaar or voter ID Required for secondary verification (the operator pulls a masked Aadhaar for eKYC).
- Bank account or UPI Required for deposit / withdrawal. The operator verifies the binding by a micro-deposit or by UPI handle.
- Mobile number + email Required for sign-up and for two-factor verification.
KYC flow
- Sign up Mobile → OTP → name → email.
- First deposit The KYC prompt appears at first deposit; you cannot deposit until KYC clears.
- PAN upload Capture or upload the PAN card.
- Aadhaar eKYC The operator pulls a masked Aadhaar via the official verification API.
- Bank / UPI binding Micro-deposit or UPI handle verification.
- Wallet unlocked The wallet is unlocked for deposit and paid contests.
Verification time
| Step | SLA |
|---|---|
| PAN upload → clearance | Minutes (most cases) — flag for review if it sits for 24h |
| Aadhaar eKYC | Minutes (most cases) — flag for review if it sits for 24h |
| Bank / UPI binding | 1 working day |
| Total KYC SLA | 24-72 hours |
State check
The operator checks your IP and your KYC document against the restricted-state list (six states currently notify prohibition). If you are physically in a restricted state, onboarding pauses until you return. The desk does not provide advice on how to circumvent the gate — that is a compliance violation.
KYC issues the desk flags
- PAN mismatch The PAN must match the name on the account. If you have changed your name legally, update the PAN first.
- Aadhaar re-issued If your Aadhaar has been re-issued, the eKYC may flag. Use the masked Aadhaar download from the UIDAI portal.
- Bank account inactive The micro-deposit fails if the bank account is inactive. Bind a UPI handle instead.
- Joint bank account Joint accounts are not accepted for binding; bind a single-holder account or a UPI handle.
Reader questions — KYC
How long does KYC take?
Most cases clear in minutes. Edge cases flag for review — 24-72 hours.
Can I use a family member's PAN?
No. The PAN must match the name on the account holder.
What if I move to a restricted state?
The operator pauses onboarding while you are physically in a restricted state. The wallet reactivates when you return.
Reading the KYC layer — what you can and can't edit
The KYC layer is editable up to the operator's SLA window for the verification step (typically 24 hours). After that, an edit request goes through the operator's compliance review. The PAN cannot be edited without re-submission; the bank / UPI binding can be re-bound with a new micro-deposit or UPI handle.
Where the KYC matters
KYC is the gate to the wallet, the contest register and the withdrawal flow. The desk flags the wallet KYC, the bank / UPI binding, and the age verification as the three mandatory checkpoints. Where one is missing, the wallet is read-only.
A reading note — what happens if KYC fails
KYC fails in three cases: (1) PAN doesn't match the name on the account, (2) Aadhaar eKYC pulls a different masked identifier, (3) bank binding micro-deposit fails on an inactive account. Each case has a fix — re-submit the PAN with the correct name, re-download masked Aadhaar from UIDAI, or bind a UPI handle instead of the bank account. If the failure persists after the fix, raise an in-app ticket.
KYC is reset every 12 months as part of the operator's compliance review. When a re-KYC prompt appears, complete it within 30 days; the wallet is paused after 30 days.
Reading the KYC layer — a reading note on the desk's posture
The desk takes a compliance posture on KYC: mandatory at first deposit, mandatory for withdrawal, mandatory for the age verification (18+). The desk welcomes the operator's hard KYC gate as good compliance hygiene under MeitY Online Gaming rules.
Where the operator publishes a KYC rule change (e.g. additional document requirement, faster verification pathway), the desk updates the KYC lane within 24 hours of the operator's announcement. Where the rule is unclear, the desk says so explicitly with the operator's published wording on the lane.
The desk does not store or transmit KYC documents — the operator's KYC flow handles the upload, the masked Aadhaar eKYC, the PAN capture, and the bank/UPI binding. The desk has no read access to any of this.
Where a user's KYC is flagged for re-verification (typically PAN mismatch or Aadhaar eKYC re-issue), the operator pauses the wallet until the re-verification completes. The desk flags this as a standard compliance step, not an emergency measure.
The desk's editorial posture: track the operator's KYC framework, publish plain-English summaries on the lane, correct the lane on the corrections log if a published claim is later found incorrect. The desk does not provide compliance advice; consult a qualified lawyer or CA for binding calls.