EMI Configuration & Targeting
EMI configuration determines which EMI schemes a subvention applies to and how transactions are matched against those schemes at checkout. Card EMI and Cardless EMI have separate targeting rule sets, each with its own selectors and matching criteria. Every subvention must have at least one EMI type configured, and all targeting selectors within an EMI type work together as AND conditions -- a transaction must satisfy every configured selector to qualify.
When a customer initiates an EMI payment at checkout, the Boostr Affordability Engine evaluates each active subvention by running the transaction details through the targeting rules you define here. The engine checks the payment mode code (card_emi or cardless_emi), then drills into the EMI-type-specific selectors -- card config, network, issuer, BIN lists, or cardless issuer selection -- before verifying that the tenure and frequency match. Only when every selector passes does the subvention apply.
You configure EMI targeting in the Payment Modes tab of the subvention creation form in Command Center. If the Allow All Payment Modes toggle is enabled, all Card EMI and Cardless EMI schemes are eligible and you do not need to configure individual rules. Disable the toggle to build targeted rules. For a walkthrough of the full creation workflow, see Creating Subventions.
Multiple targeting options can be combined within each EMI type to create precise eligibility criteria. For example, you can target only HDFC Visa credit cards on 6-month and 12-month tenures, or you can target all cardless EMI issuers across all tenures. The flexibility of the targeting system allows you to run broad campaigns and narrow bank-partnership promotions from the same configuration interface.
EMI Targeting Rules Reference
The table below summarizes the available targeting selectors for each EMI type.
| EMI Type | Targeting Option | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Card EMI | Card config | Credit Card EMI, Debit Card EMI, or both |
| Card EMI | Network | Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, or All |
| Card EMI | Card type | Credit, Debit, or All |
| Card EMI | Geography | Domestic, International, or All |
| Card EMI | Issuer bank | Multi-select from the bank master list |
| Card EMI | BIN targeting | Include or exclude specific BINs and BIN ranges |
| Cardless EMI | Issuer selection | All issuers or specific issuers from the provider list |
| Both | Tenure | Multi-select: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 months |
Card EMI Targeting Rules
Card EMI targeting uses card attributes and optionally BIN lists to determine which card-based EMI transactions qualify for a subvention. You configure these rules in the Payment Modes tab after enabling Card EMI and disabling the "Allow All Payment Modes" toggle. Card EMI targeting splits into two approaches: Card Based (attribute-level matching) and BIN Based (card-number-level matching). You can use one or both.
Card config selection
The card config selector determines whether the subvention applies to Credit Card EMI, Debit Card EMI, or both. This is the first selector you set when configuring Card EMI. If you enable only Credit, then Debit Card EMI transactions are excluded regardless of how the other selectors are configured. If you enable both, the remaining selectors apply equally to credit and debit card EMI transactions.
Card config maps directly to the CardEMISubvention model's card_config field. The system checks this field first during matching, so misconfiguring it effectively blocks all Card EMI eligibility for the subvention. If your bank partnership covers both credit and debit card EMI schemes, enable both card configs to avoid creating separate subventions for each -- you can still restrict eligibility through network, issuer, or BIN selectors further down the configuration.
Network, card type, and geography
These three selectors work together to filter card transactions by their attributes.
Network (also referred to as scheme) targets the card network: Visa, Mastercard, RuPay, or All. Select one or more networks. Only EMI transactions on cards from the selected networks are eligible. If you leave this unselected, all networks are allowed.
Card type further classifies the card as Credit, Debit, or All. This selector works alongside the card config selector. While card config determines which EMI product types are enabled, the card type selector allows additional filtering at the card attribute level.
Geography classifies the card's country of issuance: Domestic (cards issued within India), International (cards issued outside India), or All. Most EMI subventions target domestic cards because international card EMI availability varies by issuer.
All three selectors are evaluated as AND conditions. For example, if you select Visa + Credit + Domestic, only domestic Visa credit card EMI transactions qualify. A Mastercard credit card or a Visa debit card would not match.
Issuer bank targeting
Issuer bank targeting restricts the subvention to cards from specific banks. The selector presents a multi-select list drawn from the bank master -- the complete list of issuer banks configured in the Nimbbl platform. Select one or more banks to narrow eligibility, or leave unselected to allow all issuers.
Issuer targeting is commonly used for bank-partnership promotions where the subvention cost is shared with a specific bank. For example, an HDFC no-cost EMI campaign would target only HDFC as the issuer bank, combined with the appropriate tenures and card types.
The bank master list is maintained at the platform level. If an issuer bank you need is not available in the list, contact the Nimbbl support team to verify that the bank is configured.
BIN targeting
BIN (Bank Identification Number) targeting provides card-level precision when attribute-based targeting is not specific enough. BIN targeting uses include and exclude lists to match or block individual card number prefixes.
BIN include list -- only cards whose BIN appears in this list are eligible. Enter BINs manually or upload a file.
BIN exclude list -- cards whose BIN appears in this list are excluded, even if they match all other selectors. Exclude lists take precedence over include lists.
BIN format -- each BIN must be 6 to 10 digits long. You can enter individual BINs or use range syntax with a hyphen. For example, "526217-526219" covers all BINs from 526217 through 526219 inclusive. Ranges are expanded during parsing, so the start and end values must have the same digit length.
File upload -- upload BINs in bulk using .csv or .xls files. Each row should contain one BIN or one BIN range. The system parses the file on upload, validates each entry, and adds valid BINs to the list.
BIN targeting creates a secondary matching table (CardEMIBinSubvention) that runs alongside the primary card-attribute rules. If BIN rules are configured, a transaction must pass both the primary table (card config, network, issuer, and so on) and the secondary BIN table. Use BIN targeting for co-branded card promotions or bank partnerships that cover a specific range of card numbers.
Cardless EMI Targeting Rules
Cardless EMI allows customers to avail EMI without a physical card. The customer authenticates with a Cardless EMI provider (such as ZestMoney, FlexiPay, or similar) and the provider extends a credit line for the transaction. Subvention targeting for Cardless EMI is simpler than Card EMI because there are no card attributes to match -- the primary selector is the issuer (provider).
You configure Cardless EMI targeting in the Payment Modes tab by enabling Cardless EMI alongside or instead of Card EMI.
All cardless EMI allowed
The All Cardless EMI Allowed toggle provides a broad targeting option. When enabled, the subvention applies to all Cardless EMI providers available for your sub-merchant. You do not need to select individual issuers.
Use this toggle when your subvention should apply universally to every Cardless EMI option at checkout. This is the fastest configuration path and ensures that any new Cardless EMI providers added to the platform are automatically included.
When the toggle is disabled, you must select specific issuers from the provider list (described below).
Specific issuer selection
When you disable the "All Cardless EMI Allowed" toggle, a multi-select list of Cardless EMI providers appears. Select one or more providers to restrict which Cardless EMI transactions are eligible for the subvention. Only transactions processed through the selected providers qualify.
This approach is useful when your subvention is part of a partnership with a specific Cardless EMI provider, or when cost-sharing arrangements differ across providers.
Cardless EMI uses a redirect-based authentication flow -- the customer is redirected to the provider's platform to complete verification. This is different from Card EMI where card details are entered directly. Subvention eligibility is determined before the redirect, based on the provider selected by the customer at checkout.
The CardlessEMISubvention model stores two fields: all_cardless_emi_allowed (the toggle) and cardless_emi_issuers (the list of selected providers). During matching, the system checks the toggle first. If it is enabled, all cardless issuers pass. If it is disabled, the issuer from the transaction must appear in the configured issuers list.
Tenure and Frequency Targeting
Tenure and frequency determine the EMI repayment schedule. Both must match between the subvention configuration and the EMI scheme for the subvention to apply.
Tenure targeting
Tenure is the number of monthly installments the customer pays over the EMI period. The tenure selector presents a multi-select list with the following standard options:
| Tenure | Category |
|---|---|
| 3 months | Short-term EMI |
| 6 months | Medium-term EMI |
| 9 months | Medium-term EMI |
| 12 months | Standard annual EMI |
| 15 months | Extended EMI |
| 18 months | Extended EMI |
| 24 months | Long-term EMI |
Select one or more tenures. The subvention's configured tenure must match the EMI scheme's tenure exactly for the subvention to apply. If a customer selects a 9-month EMI plan but your subvention only targets 6-month and 12-month tenures, the subvention is excluded.
Tenure selection applies to both Card EMI and Cardless EMI. In the Card Based targeting approach, tenure is configured alongside card attribute selectors. In BIN Based targeting, tenure is configured alongside the BIN lists.
The available tenures depend on what your payment partners and issuer banks support. Not all issuers offer all tenure options. If a tenure you need does not appear in the selector, verify the configuration with your payment partner or contact Nimbbl support.
Frequency targeting
Frequency defines the repayment interval within the EMI scheme -- typically monthly. The subvention's frequency must match the EMI scheme's frequency for the subvention to apply. In most configurations, frequency is monthly and does not require special attention.
However, if your payment partners support non-standard frequencies (such as bi-weekly or quarterly), verify that the subvention's frequency aligns with the EMI schemes you intend to target. A frequency mismatch causes the subvention to be silently excluded during matching, even if all other selectors pass.
The currency configured on the subvention must also match the EMI scheme's currency. Currency is set during subvention creation in the Setup tab and is not part of the EMI Configuration tab, but it participates in the same matching logic.
EMI Scheme Matching Logic
When a customer selects an EMI payment mode at checkout, the system runs a matching process to determine which subventions apply. The matching logic evaluates each active subvention against the transaction and EMI scheme details. Understanding this logic helps you configure targeting rules that produce the intended results.
Matching criteria
The matching process evaluates the following criteria in sequence. All criteria must pass for a subvention to be considered eligible.
Payment mode code -- the transaction's payment mode code must be either card_emi or cardless_emi, matching the EMI type configured on the subvention. A subvention configured for Card EMI does not apply to Cardless EMI transactions, and vice versa.
Tenure match -- the EMI scheme's tenure must match one of the tenures selected in the subvention configuration. This is an exact match -- a 6-month tenure does not satisfy a 9-month targeting rule.
Frequency match -- the EMI scheme's frequency must match the subvention's frequency. In most cases both are monthly, so this check passes implicitly.
Currency match -- the EMI scheme's currency must match the subvention's currency. Currency is set at the sub-merchant level during subvention creation.
For Card EMI transactions, additional criteria are evaluated:
- Card config -- the card type (credit or debit) must match the subvention's card config setting.
- Network / scheme -- the card's network (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay) must match the subvention's network selector, unless the selector is set to All.
- Card type -- must match the configured card type selector.
- Geography -- the card's issuance country classification (domestic or international) must match the geography selector.
- Issuer bank -- the card's issuing bank must appear in the subvention's issuer bank list, unless the list is empty (which allows all issuers).
- BIN rules -- if BIN include or exclude lists are configured, the card's BIN must pass BIN validation. A card must appear in the include list (if set) and must not appear in the exclude list (if set).
For Cardless EMI transactions, the criteria are simpler:
- If
all_cardless_emi_allowedis enabled, all cardless issuers pass. - If it is disabled, the transaction's cardless EMI issuer must appear in the subvention's
cardless_emi_issuerslist.
When multiple subventions match a single transaction, the system uses the sub-merchant's tiebreak strategy and the subvention priority values to select one. Priority is configured during subvention creation, and the tiebreak strategy is a sub-merchant-level setting managed by the Nimbbl support team.
Primary vs secondary table matching
The matching logic uses two levels of rules, referred to as the primary and secondary tables.
Primary table matching applies the general card-attribute rules: card config, network, card type, geography, and issuer bank. These rules are stored in the CardEMISubvention model and are evaluated for every Card EMI transaction. The primary table provides broad targeting -- it answers the question "does this card's profile match the subvention's intended audience?"
Secondary table matching applies BIN-specific rules. These rules are stored in the CardEMIBinSubvention model and are only evaluated when BIN include or exclude lists are configured on the subvention. The secondary table provides narrow targeting -- it answers the question "is this specific card number allowed or blocked?"
When both tables are active, a transaction must pass both. The primary table is evaluated first. If the transaction fails primary matching, the secondary table is not checked. If the transaction passes primary matching but fails BIN validation in the secondary table, the subvention is excluded.
If you configure BIN rules, verify that the BINs belong to cards that also match your primary table selectors (card type, network, issuer). A BIN in the include list for a card that does not match the primary table selectors results in that card never qualifying -- the primary check fails before the BIN check runs.
For subventions without BIN rules, only primary table matching applies. Most subventions use primary matching exclusively. Secondary table matching is reserved for co-branded card promotions, limited bank partnerships, or scenarios where you have a specific list of eligible card numbers.