Context:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rules, effective from August 1, 2025, to enhance system efficiency, user experience, and fraud prevention.
Key Highlights:
- Scope of New Rules
- Applicable to all UPI-based payment service providers like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.
- Covers operations like balance enquiry, autopayments, bank detail access, transaction status, and recipient verification.
Balance Enquiry
- Users can check their bank balance up to 50 times per day on each UPI app.
- During peak hours, UPI apps may restrict balance checks to reduce system load.
- Starting August, available balance will be displayed with every transaction.
Auto Payment Processing
- Autopayments (recurring debits) will be processed only during non-peak hours:
- Before 10:00 am
- Between 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- After 9:30 pm
- If scheduled during peak time, the payment may be processed before or after.
- Retries will be attempted; failure after retries leads to auto-cancellation.
Bank Details Access
- Users can view the list of banks linked to their mobile number.
- Limited to 25 access requests per day.
- Bank detail requests must be initiated after selecting the issuer bank.
Transaction Status Updates
- During peak hours, pending payment status will now be updated instantly.
- Users can check the status only 3 times, with a 90-second gap between checks.
Recipient Details Before Payment
- Sender will see the recipient’s registered name and transaction ID before completing the transaction.
- Aims to prevent fraud and mistaken transfers.
Compliance & Penalties
- NPCI may impose penalties or restrictions in case of non-compliance:
- UPI API restrictions
- Onboarding suspension
- Fines and other regulatory actions
About NPCI
- Founded: 2008
- Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
- CEO: Dilip Asbe