How to Check EPF Balance Online? – A to Z Information
Money is hard earned, isn’t it? So, the question is, ‘Why should you not keep a track of your money even if it is your provident fund earnings?’ After all, it’s your own money and you pay for it from your monthly salary. In case you are still in the shadow or you are misinformed, let us clarify the overall concept of provident fund in a few words.
“It is the money you save every month from your salary, which grows into a lump sum amount by the time you retire. This money is given to you upon retirement as a retirement benefit.”
Let us be honest! It is one of the simplest explanations out there and no complexities have been included. The reason why we didn’t give a complex definition is that at the end of the, everything, no matter how complex it is, boils down to this basic concept.
So, now that we have a decent understanding of what Provident Fund stands for, let us add a slight touch of complexity. The actual name of this savings is Employees Provident Fund, which is usually abbreviated as EPF. The term ‘Employees’ has been added to clarify the fact that provident fund is meant only and only for those who are in service with a registered business on a contract of monthly salary. A self-employed person has no EPF. Similarly, a person sweating in a tea stall just as a labor or perhaps the person responsible for cleaning the floor of a local bicycle store is not entitled to EPF. Got it?
Okay! Let us now get to business and find out how you can check our EPF balance online. Don’t be shocked! We are living the dream age of Digital India and government seems to be hell-bent on taking all services online. So, here we are! The EPF service is online too!
A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Check EPF Balance Online
Assuming that you have the working knowledge of working with the internet (we are pretty sure you have this knowledge), here are the simple steps that will allow you to check your EPF balance online in a matter of few minutes. There will be no more standing in a queue, grinning at the pathetic attitude of the government employee behind the desk who has time for virtually everything in this world except for pulling out your records and giving you the details you seek! So here we go!
Step 1: Fire up your internet browser (not literally though)
Open your preferred browser that you use to browse the internet (this should usually be your default browser). Still, we recommend using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome because most of the government run websites seem to perform well on those two browsers.
Step 2: Head for website where your details can be seen
Once your browser is open, simply copy and paste this link on the URL bar of the browser: https://www.epfindia.gov.in/site_en/index.php. On the page that you see, you will see a link which says, ‘Click Here to Know Your EPF Balance’. This text is in blue and is actually a link. Click on. You will be redirected to another page that will open in a new tab. You can actually skip all of that and directly click on this link.
Step 3: Select the state where you are located
This is where you will have to select the state where you are located. You find a drop-down menu that sums up all the states in India. Remember that currently, EPF data is available only for 120 EPF offices spread across India. It may happen that data from the office where your EPF details are located may not be there. Though this is highly unlikely still, this may just happen. Don’t blame us! We have nothing to do with this.
Step 4: Take a note of the region and office code
The very moment you select a state, a table will show up directly below the state selection area. That table provides a summary of what you can expect further inside. Here is what you see in the table:
- First column: lists all the regions in the state.
- Second column: lists the region codes respective to the data in the first column.
- Third column: list the office codes respective to the data in the first column.
- Fourth column: lists the names of the offices respective to data in the first column.
- Fifth column: tell you the exact date till which the EPF data has been updated for each office.
You should know the region where your EPF office is located. You should also be aware of the office name in that particular region. Remember, there can be multiple offices in a single region and each office will have a unique office code.
Take note of the region code (which is essentially a constant value because there will be only one code for the whole region) and the office code. Make sure that you select the code for the office where your EPF data is stored.
Step 5: Click on the Office name
The fourth column of the table, which sums up the office names is actually a column of links. All the names in that column are hyperlinked to a different page. Click on the name of your office. This will lead you to a new page. This time, the page will open on the same tab.
Step 6: Fill in the necessary information in the form
Okay, the new page that opens is actually a form. You must see the Region code as well as the Office code pre-populated in the first field. Cross check these codes with the notes you made in Step 4. This will only ensure that you clicked on the right office name.
- The first field: With Region and Office code pre-populated, you will see three more boxes on the first field. These three boxes are meant for providing your EPF account number. Populate the blank boxes properly.
The second field: This is where you need to enter your name. This name should be entered exactly the way it is shown on the EPF slip. For example, if the EPF slip reads your name as “Govardhan Murari” (without the quotes), you should enter it as Govardhan Murari and not as GOVARDHAN MURARI or any other variant. You should be very careful here because, in case of any mismatch, the system will fail to pull out any information. - The third field: This is where you need to enter your mobile number.
- The checkbox: Just below the form made up of the above three fields, you will see a box which has an agreement clause. Below that you will see a checkbox. Besides the checkbox, it is written as ‘I Agree’. Essentially the agreement clause is a declaration which, to summarize, states that all information you have provided is your and that by providing the mobile number, you actually agree that government will send you SMS notifications about your EPF balance. Click on the checkbox. You will see a ‘tick mark’ sign appearing. The moment you click on the checkbox, the Submit button below becomes active, which was until now, inactive and not clickable.
Step 7: Submit or Reset
This is the last stage. Once all the data is provided, and the submit button is active, proceed and click on the ‘Submit’ button. If you think you want to reenter all data, all over again, hit reset and repeat Step 6.
Click Here: Check Your Recently Updated Aadhaar Card Status
What Happens Next?
Now here is a bummer! Once you click submit, you don’t really see anything on the screen of your computer. So, waiting will be futile. Remember that you provided your mobile number? Well, that number goes to the EPFO office and is registered with their database. The information about your EPF balance will be collected from the database based on your name and EPF account number and the details will be sent to you through SMS. The reason is simple! It is all about security. If your computer is somehow compromised through techniques like phishing or spyware, the data displayed on the web browser may be captured by unwanted people. So, it is better to send the information directly to your mobile number. If you lose your mobile number then… well, it is the EPFO office and not search and retrieve department of your local police. Nothing can be done!
That’s all folks! No more diamonds to find here! Just head for the website and check out your EPF balance.