Why Are These UPI Changes Happening?
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has grown incredibly fast. In June 2025 alone, UPI processed over 18.4 billion transactions worth more than ₹24 lakh crore. This massive volume puts a lot of pressure on the banking systems, causing slowdowns and transaction failures, especially during peak hours. The new rules aim to fix these issues.
The NPCI is the organization that manages UPI in India. These new guidelines are for all UPI apps, including Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm, to follow.
The 7 Big Changes in UPI from August 1, 2025
Here’s a simple breakdown of the new UPI rules that are now in effect.
Limit on Checking Your Bank Balance
Many of us have a habit of checking our account balance frequently through UPI apps. This creates a lot of traffic on bank servers.
- The New Rule: You can now check your account balance only 50 times per day on each UPI app.
- What it means for you: This limit is per app. So, if you use Google Pay and PhonePe, you get 50 checks on each. For most people, this is more than enough. To make things easier, your balance will now be automatically shown after every transaction.
New Timings for Autopay and Recurring Payments
Payments for your subscriptions like Netflix, EMIs, or SIPs are handled by UPI’s Autopay feature. These payments will now be processed at specific times to avoid peak-hour rush.
- The New Rule: Autopay transactions will only be processed during non-peak hours. These timings are before 10:00 AM, between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM, and after 9:30 PM.
- What it means for you: If your payment was due at 11 AM, it might get deducted earlier or later. You will get a notification once the payment is done. Each autopay mandate will have a maximum of four retries (one original attempt and three retries) before it fails.
Limit on Viewing Linked Bank Accounts
UPI apps have a feature to show all the bank accounts linked to your number. This is done using something called an API (Application Programming Interface), which is a way for different software to talk to each other.
- The New Rule: You can view your list of linked bank accounts only 25 times per day per app.
- What it means for you: This change prevents apps from repeatedly asking for your account details, which improves security and reduces system load.
Deactivation of Inactive UPI IDs
To prevent fraud, UPI IDs that have not been used for a long time will be automatically disabled.
- The New Rule: Any UPI ID that has been inactive for more than one year will be deactivated.
- What it means for you: This is a safety measure. If you change your mobile number, the old number might be given to someone else. Deactivating the UPI ID prevents anyone from misusing your old account.
Better Verification for New Accounts
When you add a new bank account to a UPI app, the verification process is now stronger.
- The New Rule: New bank accounts will go through enhanced verification and user authentication checks.
- What it means for you: This makes it harder for anyone to add your bank account to their UPI app without your permission, adding an extra layer of security.
Recipient Name Check Before Every Payment
This is a key change to prevent you from sending money to the wrong person.
- The New Rule: Before you complete any payment, the UPI app will display the registered name of the person you are paying.
- What it means for you: This final check ensures your money is going to the right person, reducing mistakes and fraud.
Limit on Checking Pending Transaction Status
Sometimes, a UPI transaction gets stuck and shows as “pending.” Users often check the status repeatedly.
- The New Rule: You can now check the status of a pending transaction only three times, with a gap of at least 90 seconds between each check.
- What it means for you: This reduces unnecessary server requests while still allowing you to check if your transaction has gone through.
What Is NOT Changing?
While there are many new rules, the core UPI experience remains the same.
- Sending and receiving money: The process of making regular payments to friends, family, or merchants is not affected.
- Transaction limits: The general daily transaction limit for most UPI transactions remains ₹1 lakh, although your bank might have its own lower limit.
Summary of New UPI Rules (Effective August 1, 2025)
| Feature | Old Rule | New Rule (From August 1, 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Balance Checks | No limit | 50 checks per day, per app |
| Autopay Timings | Processed anytime | Only during non-peak hours (before 10 AM, 1-5 PM, after 9:30 PM) |
| Viewing Linked Accounts | No limit | 25 requests per day, per app |
| Inactive UPI IDs | Remained active | Deactivated after 1 year of inactivity |
| Pending Transactions | No limit on status checks | 3 status checks per transaction |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Will these new UPI rules affect my daily payments to shops?
No, sending and receiving money for daily purchases is not affected by these changes. The rules focus on background activities like balance checks and autopay.
Q2. Why was the balance check limit introduced?
The limit of 50 balance checks per day was introduced to reduce the heavy load on bank servers caused by too many requests, which can slow down the entire UPI network.
Q3. What happens if my autopay payment fails?
The system will retry the payment up to three more times. If it still fails, the transaction will be cancelled, and you will receive a notification.