Every complaint1 filed under the consumer protection law must be accompanied with a nominal fee that is payable in the form of a demand draft of a nationalized bank or through a postal order2, or in electronic form3. The fee structure based on the value of goods or services is given below4:
Fee payable to the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:
Value of Good or Service | Fee |
Below Rs. 5 lakhs | No fee |
Rs. 5 lakhs – 10 Rs lakhs | Rs. 200 |
Rs. 10 lakhs – Rs. 20 lakhs | Rs.400 |
Rs. 20 lakhs – Rs. 50 lakhs | Rs. 1000 |
Rs. 50 lakhs – Rs. 1 crore | Rs. 2000 |
Fee payable to the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:
Value of Good or Service | Fee |
Rs. 1 crores – Rs. 2 crores | Rs. 2500 |
Rs. 2 crores – Rs. 4 crores | Rs. 3000 |
Rs. 4 crores – Rs. 6 crores | Rs.4000 |
Rs. 6 crores – Rs 8 crores | Rs. 5000 |
Rs. 8 crores – Rs. 10 crores | Rs. 6000 |
Fee payable to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission:
Value of Good or Service | Fee |
Above Rs. 10 crores | Rs. 7500 |
An important thing to note is that the fees so collected goes to the Consumer Welfare Fund, at the State level or the National level, as the case may be. Where such Fund does not exist, it is directed to the State Government5. The fee is utilized towards the continuation of consumer welfare projects.
- Section 2(6), Consumer Protection Act, 2019.[↩]
- Rule 7(1), Consumer Protection (Consumer Complaint Redressal Commissions) Rules, 2020[↩]
- Section 35(2), Consumer Protection Act, 2019[↩]
- Section 35(2), Consumer Protection Act, 2019[↩]
- Rule 7(2), Consumer Protection (Consumer Complaint Redressal Commissions) Rules, 2020[↩]