India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) undergoes significant rule changes from August 1, 2025, impacting how users interact with all major UPI apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, and others. These new UPI Rules, mandated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), aim to enhance system efficiency, reduce fraud, and accommodate India’s explosive growth in digital payments.
Key Highlights of the New UPI Rules
1. Balance Enquiry Limits
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Limit of 50 balance checks per UPI app, per day
Users can now check their account balance only 50 times per day on a given app. This restriction addresses excessive system traffic and server loads. Automatic or background balance checks by apps are now prohibited—only user-initiated requests are allowed. -
Balance auto-display
After every successful UPI transaction, the app will automatically display your updated bank account balance, reducing the need for repetitive manual checks.
2. Limit on Viewing Linked Accounts (List Account API)
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25 requests per day
The number of times you can view all your linked bank accounts via the UPI app is capped at 25 times per day, minimizing unnecessary API load.
3. Autopay (Recurring Payments) – New Time and Retry Limits
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Recurring mandates (bills, subscriptions, EMIs) can only execute during non-peak hours:
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Before 10:00 AM
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Between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM
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After 9:30 PM
Peak hours (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM) will be reserved for real-time user transactions.
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Retry cap:
Each auto-debit mandate is allowed one initial execution attempt and up to three retries. After four failed attempts, the mandate will be canceled.
4. Inactive UPI ID Deactivation
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UPI IDs linked to mobile numbers inactive for over 12 months will be automatically disabled. This step helps prevent fraud through recycled phone numbers.
5. Stronger Account Verification
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Newly added bank accounts on UPI apps will undergo stricter verification, including enhanced authentication and validation checks for added security.
6. Reduced UPI API Response Time
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All core UPI APIs must now respond within 10 seconds (down from 30 seconds), aiming for faster and more reliable transactions, especially during busy periods.
7. UPI Payments via Credit Lines (coming August 31, 2025)
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UPI payments and cash withdrawals using pre-approved credit lines from banks or NBFCs will be enabled, adding new flexibility for users (rollout from August 31).
Why These Changes?
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System Load and Scalability: UPI handled a record 18.4 billion transactions in June 2025, highlighting the need for system stability.
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Better User Experience: Reduces failed transactions and delayed responses, especially during peak traffic hours.
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Fraud Reduction: Tighter controls and automatic deactivation of unused IDs enhance user safety.
What This Means for Users and Businesses
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Most regular users won’t be affected unless they check balance or linked accounts excessively.
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Power users (like those with multiple accounts or heavy fintech users) need to be aware of the new daily caps.
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Autopayments may process at different times than before—plan for non-peak hour processing for EMIs, subscriptions, and bills.
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Inactive numbers: If your linked mobile number is not used for UPI for a year, your UPI ID will be disabled for security.
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Expect stricter checks when linking new bank accounts to your UPI app.
Pro Tips for Users
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Check balance only when needed—over 50 times a day is now limited.
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Schedule and track autopayments, keeping in mind they’ll process outside peak hours.
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Update contact details regularly if you change your mobile number to avoid UPI deactivation.
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Use alternate UPI apps if you hit limits on one, as limits are set per app.