New UPI Rules From August 1: Key Changes, Limits, and Impact Explained

From August 1, 2025, the NPCI has enforced new UPI regulations—covering balance check limits, Autopay timing, linked account view caps, and more. Learn how these updates impact your daily UPI use.

Introduction – Why NPCI Made the Change

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) rolled out new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rules effective August 1, 2025, aiming to reduce system overload, improve reliability, and prevent fraud. With UPI volumes crossing billions daily, these caps on key functions are designed to ease API strain and improve user experience during peak hours.

Rule Breakdown: The Key Updates

Balance Enquiry Cap – 50 per App per Day

Users can now manually check account balance only 50 times per app, per day. Background checks by apps are disabled to prevent unnecessary load .

Linked Account View Limit – 25 per Day

Users can see their list of linked UPI bank accounts only 25 times per app daily. Explicit user consent is required for each view .

Scheduled Autopay Restrictions

Recurring payments like EMIs, SIPs, and OTT subscriptions now run only during non-peak hours:

Before 10 AM
1 PM – 5 PM
After 9:30 PM

Each mandate gets 1 execution attempt plus up to 3 retries, improving processing efficiency and avoiding peak congestion .

Transaction Status Check Limits

Users can check pending transaction status only three times, with a minimum gap of 90 seconds between attempts to curb repetitive API access.

Beneficiary Name Confirmation

Before authorizing any UPI payment, users will now see the registered name of the recipient, which helps reduce mistakes and fraud.

Who Is Affected & Why Changes Were Needed

Everyday Users vs Power Users

Most users conducting basic daily transactions won’t feel much difference. However, high-frequency users, fintech apps, or those using multiple linked accounts may hit caps. These adjustments are made to optimise system performance without disrupting normal use cases.

Why NPCI Introduced These Caps

Reduce API flooding and server strain during peak hours
Minimize failed or timed-out transactions
Enhance system uptime and reliability
Increase fraud detection and user transparency via beneficiary name visibility

Daily Use Scenarios Under the New Rules

Scenario A: Checking Your Own Balance Regularly

If you use multiple apps (like Google Pay, Paytm), you get 50 checks per app. Avoid checking excessively, especially during peak usage hours.

Scenario B: Recurring Payments

If your OTT or utility autopay triggers during restricted hours, it may get executed earlier or retried during permissible hours. Monitor payment updates, and adjust if needed.

Scenario C: Using Multiple Bank Accounts

If checking linked accounts frequently—for instance, finance apps—you may reach the 25‐per‐day cap. Consent dialogs will appear each time you view it.

Scenario D: Transaction Failures

If a UPI transaction is pending, you now have only three status checks with delays. This encourages patience and reduces API load.

App Providers & Banks – Compliance & Penalties

Mandatory API Compliance

Third-party apps (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, etc.) must adhere to the new caps. NPCI will monitor their API usage patterns, applying restrictions or penalties for non-compliance.

Impact of Subsidy Removal & UPI Fees

As banks lose subsidies on small-value transactions, payment aggregators may bear nominal costs, though users remain unaffected. Fees will not be passed directly to customers for regular UPI use .

Market Share Cap Delay

The previously proposed UPI market share cap for aggregators like PhonePe and GPay has been deferred to 2026, giving companies time to adapt to the new API rules .

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FAQs

Q1. Why has NPCI limited the number of UPI balance checks?

To reduce API overload during peak periods and ensure better performance and uptime.

Q2. What should I do if my autopay is scheduled during peak hours?

Your payment may execute early or late. Monitor notifications and adjust billing dates if necessary.

Q3. Does the rule affect small-value freebies or promotions?

No. These caps are aimed at infrastructure stability—not fees or promotional limits.

Q4. Can I check a pending transaction more than 3 times?

No. After three checks with minimum 90-second gaps, all further attempts are blocked to prevent server stress.

Q5. Will I be charged a fee for using UPI post these changes?

No direct fees for consumers. However, banks and aggregators may incur backend fees not impacting users directly.

Conclusion

The new UPI rules effective August 1, 2025 strike a balance between safeguarding infrastructure and maintaining user convenience. Caps on balance checks, linked account views, autopay timing, and status checks are designed to reduce strain on the UPI system and deliver smoother transactions. While power users may need to adjust habits, everyday users should see minimal impact. As NPCI pushes for compliance among banks and apps, these reforms mark a significant step in securing and stabilizing India’s digital payments ecosystem—essential for UPI’s continuing dominance in global fast payments.