Starting August 1, 2025, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system in India will witness crucial rule changes introduced by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) designed to enhance system performance, reduce fraud, and manage the growing transaction volumes more efficiently. These new guidelines bring limits on activities such as balance inquiries, linked account views, and autopay mandate executions, alongside stricter verification processes and faster API response times. With UPI continuing to surge in popularity, these updates aim to ensure a more reliable, secure, and scalable digital payments ecosystem that benefits both consumers and businesses. Here’s a detailed look at the 9 key UPI rule changes you shouldn’t miss starting August 1, 2025.
9 Smart Updates in UPI Rules from 1 August 2025 You Must Know
That app will block further balance requests for 24 hours for that user.
Table of Contents
🔐 1. Balance Check Limit: 50 times/day per UPI app
You can now use each UPI app (e.g. Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe) to check your bank balance up to 50 times in 24 hours. This cap applies per app and helps reduce server pressure .
⚡ 2. Auto‑Balance Display After Every Payment
No need for manual checking—your updated account balance is now shown automatically after each successful UPI transaction, cutting down extra API calls .
🏦 3. Linked Account View Cap: 25 views/day per app
Viewing the list of bank accounts linked to your mobile number is capped at 25 times per day per app. This controls overuse and improves security.
⏱️ 4. Auto‑Pay Timing Restricted to Non‑Peak Hours
Recurring payments (EMIs, subscriptions, OTT, SIPs): executed only during non-peak hours—before 10 AM, between 1 PM–5 PM, and after 9:30 PM—ensuring smoother processing .
🔁 5. Mandate Retries Limited
UPI will attempt auto-pay mandates only once, with up to 3 retries total. This prevents overloading and failed payment loops .
🔍 6. Pending Transaction Status Checks Limited
You can check the status of a pending payment only 3 times, and each attempt must have at least a 90‑second interval between queries .
👀 7. Beneficiary Bank Name Display Before Payment
UPI apps are now required to show the recipient’s registered bank name before confirmation—this adds a curb against wrong transfers and phishing/fraud attempts .
⚠️ 8. Strict Compliance Required
Payment providers must implement these rules by 31 July 2025 or face API restrictions, penalties, and suspension of new customer onboarding .
📈 9. Why These Updates Matter
- Reduces system overload and latency.
- Improves reliability, especially during peak traffic.
- Protects users with better transparency and fewer fraud risks.
✅ Quick Recap Table
| Feature | New Limit or Rule |
|---|---|
| Balance checks | 50/day per UPI app |
| Linked account views | 25/day per app |
| Auto-pay execution | Only in non-peak time slots |
| Mandate retries | 1 initial + 3 retries |
| Pending status checks | 3 attempts/txn, 90s gap |
| Recipient bank display | Required before confirming payment |
| Non-compliance consequences | API access limits, onboarding suspension |
📌 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What if I exceed the balance-check limit on an app?
➡️ That app will block further balance requests for 24 hours for that user.
Q: Will recurring payments fail if triggered outside allowed hours?
➡️ No, they’ll be queued and processed during allowed windows.
Q: What happens if I try to check pending status more than 3 times too quickly?
➡️ Requests beyond limit or timing will be rejected until the gap/reset criteria are met.
