Big Changes to UPI from August 1: Key Updates Every User Needs to Know
Big Changes to UPI from August 1: Key Updates Every User Needs to Know
From August 1, 2025, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system will undergo a series of significant updates, as announced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). These measures are being introduced to enhance the efficiency of the UPI network and curb the technical disruptions that users experienced earlier this year. Whether you rely on UPI daily or use it occasionally, these changes will likely affect your routine.
Here’s a detailed look at what’s changing:
1. Limit on Balance Inquiries
Starting next month, users can make up to 50 balance checks per day per UPI app. So, if you use multiple apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, or others, you’ll get 50 checks on each. This limit aims to reduce the server overload from frequent balance requests.
2. Cap on Linked Bank Account Checks
Users will be able to verify which bank account is linked to their mobile number up to 25 times per day. This cap applies when you check the name of the linked bank account under your UPI profile.
3. New Timings for Autopay Transactions
Recurring payments such as OTT subscriptions, insurance premiums, mutual fund SIPs, and other autopay mandates will only be processed in designated non-peak slots to ease network congestion. These slots are:
- Before 10:00 AM
- Between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM
- After 9:30 PM
4. Fewer Transaction Status Checks
If a payment is delayed or stuck, you’ll now be able to check its status only three times per transaction, with a minimum gap of 90 seconds between each attempt. This rule will prevent excessive load on servers from repeated status checks in a short span.
Why These Rules Are Coming
NPCI traced the recent UPI service disruptions in April and May to heavy backend API traffic. Payment apps and banks exchange millions of automated requests (API calls) daily, and these often spike due to repeated balance checks, status checks, and account verifications. The new limits are designed to control this traffic and keep UPI transactions smooth and reliable.
Don’t Forget the April 2025 UPI Rules
Earlier this year, another set of rules came into effect, including:
- Users changing their mobile number must update it with their bank and reset UPI.
- Users whose numbers were revoked, surrendered, or recycled had to reconfigure UPI settings.
- Those who surrendered SIM cards without updating their bank needed to make necessary updates to continue using UPI services.
These updates together reflect NPCI’s broader effort to protect the integrity of India’s popular real-time payment system.
