A WhatsApp PDF and a payment screenshot are not proof of cover. Proof is a record in the insurer's own system: portal, app, or call centre confirmation tied to your proposal number. This guide is the post-purchase half of buying safely: status lookup, what each status means, and what to do when nothing shows up.

Method and data basis

Steps follow common IRDAI-registered insurer portal and app flows (login, policy search by number or proposal, download section, claim tracker) plus official warnings about impersonation domains that mimic grievance or policyholder sites. It does not replace the insurer's published customer care number; that number should come from the official site, not from the message that asked you to pay.

Official ways to check status

  • Insurer portal login: email or customer ID plus password/OTP. Look for policy number, status, premium due date, sum insured.
  • Insurer mobile app: same data as portal; enable app-based downloads of e-policy PDFs.
  • Published call centre: verify from the number on the official website after you hang up and redial, not from a caller ID that contacted you first.
  • Policy document self-check: insurer name, IRDAI registration details, policy number format, premium receipt bank/gateway reference matching the insurer.
  • Proposed public registry direction: longer term, IRDAI's single-ID registry concept aims to list life, health and motor policies you hold; until live, portal checks remain the daily method.

Reading common status values

  • Active / in force: premium accepted, cover live for the stated period. Check still-active after any endorsement.
  • Payment pending / in due: cover may be in grace depending on product. Pay only through official channels; then re-check status.
  • Lapsed: cover stopped for non-payment. Revival rules and fresh underwriting may apply; do not assume simple reinstatement.
  • Proposal underwriting: not yet issued. No claim will pay on an unissued policy.
  • Cancelled / surrendered: dead contract. Confirm you initiated it.
  • Claim registered / under process: claim exists. Track with claim ID; use insurer TPA rules for TAT, not WhatsApp forward advice.

Fake or missing records

If the PDF opens but the policy never appears in any official portal, treat it as suspected fraud. Do not pay more to release the claim or complete KYC. Screenshot the thread and payment trail, report through the insurer's official grievance path if a real insurer name was misused, and use Bima Bharosa / 1930 routes for money diversion as applicable. Never share OTP to prove your identity to someone who called you about policy status.

What not to do

Do not verify status only by replying to the seller's chat. Do not click status links in SMS from unknown short codes without confirming the domain. Do not pay renewal premium to a personal UPI handle shown inside a status message.

Connect the cluster

Pre-purchase checks: buy online safely. Diversion and recovery: Bima Bharosa versus 1930. Impersonation sites: fake grievance portal and policyholder site warnings. Lost-policy search: public insurance registry explainer.