Subscribers of the Employees' Provident Fund can now check their EPF balance, view recent transactions, and download their PF passbook directly through a newly launched WhatsApp service. The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation introduced the chatbot to provide members with a convenient alternative to visiting physical offices or navigating the official website.
Under the new offering, users can access their latest PF balance, review the five most recent transactions, and retrieve their passbook. Additionally, the platform provides tailored assistance and guidance for members fulfilling requirements under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana.
To access the facility, members can message the dedicated EPFO WhatsApp number at +91 87964 41800. After saving the contact and sending an initial greeting, users are prompted to choose a preferred language from a welcome message. Following language selection, individuals can navigate the available menu options to request balance details, transaction history, or passbook services. EPFO has also provided a QR code that automatically initiates a conversation with the official verified account.
Despite the convenience of the digital rollout, early users attempting to utilize the platform may encounter hurdles. The chatbot has experienced technical difficulties, resulting in failed requests or prolonged processing times. While initial steps such as the greeting and language selection generally function without interruption, subsequent prompts to check balances have occasionally triggered error messages indicating that requests could not be completed.
Similar complaints have surfaced across social media platforms, where individuals report waiting up to an hour for replies that ultimately fail to deliver the requested data. It remains uncertain whether these interruptions stem from high traffic following the initial rollout or underlying technical faults within the system. EPFO has not yet issued a formal explanation regarding the cause of the operational delays.