NATIONAL: UPI Rules Revamp: What’s Changing from August 1?
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is set to implement pivotal updates to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system starting August 1, 2025. Aimed at enhancing efficiency and stability, these changes target non-financial transactions like balance inquiries and autopay mandates. Here’s a concise breakdown of the revisions and their implications for users.
Balance Inquiry Restrictions
UPI users will now face a cap of 50 balance checks per day per app, a measure to curb excessive API calls that strain the system. Additionally, queries to view bank accounts linked to a mobile number are limited to 25 daily instances per app. These restrictions aim to optimize server performance and ensure seamless transaction processing.
Autopay Scheduling Adjustments
Autopay transactions, including subscriptions, utility bills, and EMIs, will be confined to non-peak hours—before 10 AM, between 1 PM and 5 PM, or after 9:30 PM. This scheduling reduces network congestion during high-traffic periods. Users can still initiate autopay mandates anytime, but execution will align with these designated slots.
Transaction Status Check Limits
To further alleviate system pressure, users can check the status of a pending transaction only three times, with a mandatory 90-second gap between attempts. This rule prevents repetitive API requests that could destabilize the UPI infrastructure, ensuring faster resolution of transaction queries.
Why These Changes?
UPI processes over 18 billion transactions monthly, with a value exceeding ₹25.14 trillion as of May 2025. Recent outages, particularly in April and May 2025, were linked to excessive API usage from frequent balance and status checks. NPCI’s new rules aim to bolster system reliability by moderating these non-financial requests.
Impact on Users
For most users, these changes will have minimal impact, as few check balances or linked accounts excessively. Heavy users, however, may encounter temporary restrictions upon exceeding limits. Businesses relying on autopay must adapt to fixed schedules, potentially adjusting collection timelines to align with non-peak hours.
System-Wide Benefits
NPCI’s strategic overhaul prioritizes speed, security, and stability. By throttling non-essential API calls, the UPI ecosystem is poised to handle India’s growing digital payment demands more effectively. Real-time balance updates post-transaction will also reduce the need for manual checks, enhancing user experience.
Compliance and Enforcement
Banks and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) like PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay must comply by August 31, 2025, with system audits to ensure adherence. Non-compliance may result in penalties or restrictions on onboarding new users, reinforcing NPCI’s commitment to a robust digital payment framework.