EPF: How to check your balance through the SMS facility? A step-by-step guide

Provident funds are savings programs tailored to assist employees in building retirement funds, providing a secure and regulated investment avenue.

TheEmployees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is a government-mandated scheme in India for most salaried workers, widely favoured for retirement planning across private and public sectors. Both employees and employers contribute a fixed percentage of the employee's salary to the EPF account regularly.

Withdrawals from the EPF are permitted under certain conditions such as retirement, changing jobs, or specific life events like marriage or illness.

Here’s how you can check your EPF balance via SMS provided your Universal Account Number (UAN) is activated and your mobile number is registered with the EPFO:

Step 1: Launch your messaging app and create a new message.

Step 2: In the message, type: EPFOHO UAN ENG (Replace UAN with your 12-digit UAN); ENG signifies English, the default language for responses.

Step 3: Send the SMS to 7738299899.

To receive SMS in languages other than English, append the first three characters of your preferred language after “UAN”. For instance, to receive an SMS in Telugu, the SMS to be sent would be

“EPFOHO UAN TEL” to 7738299899.

Shortly after, expect to receive an SMS from EPFO containing your latest PF contribution and current balance. The message may also provide updates on your Know Your Customer (KYC) details associated with your UAN. Also, the facility is available in 10 languages.

Key things to keep in mind

• Ensure the SMS is sent from your registered mobile number.
• EPFO sends the member's balance and last PF contribution details along with KYC updates.
• New users need to log in to the EPFO portal and enter their details.
• Type the first three letters of your preferred language in the SMS as specified.

If your employer digitally verified and submitted your Aadhaar, PAN, andbank account details were digitally verified and submitted by your employer, you may not receive the SMS notification. If this happens, please get in touch with your current employer promptly to inquire about yourEPF balance.

New EPF account holders must initially activate their UAN and register their mobile number on the EPFO member portal. This process must be completed only once before they receive messages about their EPF balances through the SMS facility.