With UPI (Unified Payments Interface) becoming the backbone of India’s digital payments, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced a new set of rules, effective from August 1, 2025. These changes are designed to reduce system overload, improve efficiency, and streamline digital
transactions—especially during peak hours.
Here’s everything you need to know:
1. Limited Retries for Failed Auto-Debits
For every auto-debit attempt, the system will now allow:
1 main try
3 additional retries
That means a total of 4 attempts to complete a payment linked to a UPI mandate (such as OTT subscriptions or EMIs). This aims to reduce unnecessary traffic on the UPI network due to repeated failures
2. UPI Balance Enquiry Limited to 50 Times Per Day
Users can now check their account balance only 50 times a day per UPI app.
This limit is calculated over a 24-hour period and only includes manual balance checks.
Automatic background balance checks are now disabled.
After every transaction, the updated balance will be shown automatically to reduce the need for frequent checks.
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🏦 3. Limit on Bank Account Detail Access
UPI users can now view the list of bank accounts linked to their mobile number only 25 times per day.
This applies when selecting banks within the UPI app.
Any retry after failure must be done manually with user permission.
4. Auto-Debits to be Processed During Off-Peak Hours
UPI’s recurring payment system (for EMIs, OTT subscriptions, etc.) will now only work during non-peak hours.
New allowed windows:
✅ Before 10 AM
✅ After 9:30 PM
This move is aimed at minimizing system load during peak hours.
🚀 Why These Changes Matter
According to NPCI, these updates are aimed at:
Reducing system overload
Making UPI transactions faster and more efficient
Preventing abuse of the system through excessive auto-debit retries and background processes
These changes mostly affect how frequently you interact with your UPI app, especially when checking balances or processing automated payments.
Final Thoughts
As UPI transactions continue to grow exponentially in India, these NPCI changes will help enhance performance, security, and reliability. Make sure your UPI app is updated, and stay within the new limits to enjoy a smoother digital payment experience.
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