The kinetics and mechanism of interaction of periodate ion with [Co II L(H 2 O)] 2-n [L = trimethylenediaminetetraaceticacid (TMDTA)] and ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether) N,N,N',N'-tetraaceticacid (EGTA) have been studied spectrophotometrically by following an increase in absorbance at λ max = 550 nm in acetate buffer medium as a function of pH, ionic strength, temperature, various concentration of periodate and [Co II L(H 2 O)] 2-n under pseudo-first order conditions. The experimental observations have revealed that the intermediates having sufficiently high half life are produced during the course of both the reactions which finally get converted into a corresponding [Co III L(H 2 O)] 3-n complexes as a final reaction product. The reaction is found to obey the general rate law Rate = (k 2 [IO 4 -] + k 3 [IO 4 -] 2 ) [Co II L(H 2 O)] 2-n . This rate law is consistent with a four step mechanistic scheme (vide supra) where electron transfer proceeds through an inner sphere complex formation. The value of rate constant k 2 is independent of pH over the entire pH range which suggest that unprotonated form of [Co II L(H 2 O)] 2-n is the only predominant species. The value of k 2 is invariant to ionic strength variation in both the systems. The value of k 3 is also found to be almost invariant to ionic strength in case of [Co II TMDTA(H 2 O)] 2--[IO 4 ] -system but it decreases considerably in case of [Co II EGTA(H 2 O)] 2--[IO 4 ] -system with the corresponding decrease in ionic strength. The activation parameters have been computed and given in support of proposed mechanistic scheme.