CAT 2026 Fee Payment Window Extended to September 24: Who Can Use It?

CAT 2026 payment extension at a glance

The CAT 2026 website published the update in a media release dated September 22. It gives already-registered candidates two additional days to pay, while keeping the registration deadline unchanged.

Candidates should use only the official CAT website and the login linked from it. The CAT portal also warns applicants to verify the URL before entering personal or payment information.

Who can use the extended payment window?

The facility is intended for a narrow group: applicants whose registration was completed on time but whose fee payment remained pending. This may include candidates who reached the payment stage and encountered a failed transaction, bank delay or another unresolved payment issue before the original cutoff.

The wording of the official release does not create an opportunity to start or complete a new registration after September 22. If your account was created but the registration itself was incomplete at the deadline, do not assume that the payment extension makes the application valid. Check the status shown inside the official CAT dashboard.

• Eligible: registration completed by September 22, but application fee still unpaid or pending.
• Already paid: no second payment is needed if the dashboard confirms a successful transaction.
• Registration incomplete: the media release does not reopen the form.
• Status unclear: sign in through iimcat.ac.in and use the official helpdesk details shown there.

What eligible candidates should do before September 24

Log in from the official CAT website and first read the application status. If payment is pending and the portal allows you to proceed, complete it well before the 5:00 PM cutoff. Avoid waiting until the final minutes, when payment gateways and bank authentication can take longer.

After the transaction, return to the dashboard rather than relying only on a bank debit message. Save the submitted-application page, fee receipt or transaction acknowledgement available in the portal. A debit without a successful status may still require the action specified by the CAT helpdesk.

Do not pay through a link received in an unsolicited message. The official website identifies iimcat.ac.in as the CAT site and asks candidates to report suspicious activity to the helpdesk address displayed on the portal.

• Open iimcat.ac.in directly and use the Registered Candidate Login.
• Confirm that your registration was completed by September 22.
• Check whether the fee status is unpaid, pending or successful.
• Pay only through the authenticated candidate dashboard.
• Download or capture the final confirmation after successful payment.
• Contact the official CAT helpdesk if the portal status does not match your bank record.

Registration deadline vs payment deadline: what is the difference?

Registration is the process of completing and submitting the candidate's application information. Payment is the fee transaction attached to that application. In most exam cycles the two steps close together, but the September 22 media release temporarily separates them for CAT 2026.

That is why headlines describing a general CAT deadline extension can be misleading. The registration deadline remains September 22 at 5:00 PM. Only the fee-payment deadline for candidates who had already completed registration moves to September 24 at 5:00 PM.

What happens after successful payment?

Once the dashboard confirms successful submission and payment, keep the application record and return to preparation. The next major date currently displayed on the CAT website is November 4, when admit-card download is scheduled to begin. CAT 2026 is scheduled for Sunday, November 29.

Candidates should continue checking the official website for any correction-window instructions, admit-card notices or changes. Do not infer a correction schedule from the payment extension; the September 22 release addresses fee payment only.

Mistakes to avoid during the final payment window

The most avoidable error is confusing a bank debit with a completed CAT application. A bank message confirms movement of money, while the candidate dashboard confirms whether CAT recorded the transaction. Applicants should preserve both records.

Another risk is using an unofficial payment link because the deadline feels urgent. Open the CAT website yourself, verify the secure domain and navigate to the login. If a payment fails, follow the portal's instructions and official helpdesk guidance rather than repeatedly paying without checking the status.

Official source and verification note

This update was checked on September 23, 2026, against the CAT 2026 media release dated September 22 and the Important Dates shown on the official CAT website. The release states that the two-day extension applies only to fee payment for candidates who completed registration by the deadline.

Candidates should rely on their live CAT dashboard for individual payment status. Dates or portal instructions may be updated by the IIMs, so recheck the official website before acting.

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