UPI apps to limit balance checks, autopay from Aug 1: How changes help you

Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and other such platforms will also set limits on account view and merchant verification in order to improve overall service

Users of UPI-based financial apps will from August 1 find changes and limits that seek to improve services, according to organisation that manages the digital payments platform.

 

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is introducing new rules to regulate how often certain backend requests or API calls can be made. The changes seek to improve system efficiency and reduce unnecessary traffic that can slow down transactions.

 

New rules

NPCI found that a high number of non-financial requests, such as checking bank balances or listing linked accounts, are overloading the system. To ensure smoother and quicker payments, limits will be set on how these functions operate in an app. Here’s how your experience with UPI apps may change under the new framework:

 

Balance enquiries:

You will be able to check your bank balance up to 50 times per app per day. To minimise this need, banks must also display your available balance after every successful UPI transaction.

 

Linked accounts view

Limited to 25 requests per day per app. In case of an error, retries must be manually triggered by the user, not automatically repeated by the system.

 

Autopay

Autopay mandates will be processed after peak hours, which are between 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 9:30 pm. Only one execution attempt and three retries are allowed per mandate.

 

Merchant verification

Apps can fetch lists of verified merchants or security keys only once a day, again restricted to non-peak hours.

 

Transaction status check:

Must follow a staggered pattern as previously prescribed by NPCI to avoid traffic spikes.

 

Digital discipline

UPI apps and banks have been directed to monitor all backend traffic, whether initiated by the user or generated automatically. Systems must no longer blindly pass requests from partner institutions, especially during peak usage windows.

 

Deadline for compliance

 

All these changes must be implemented by July 31, 2025, with system audits completed and submitted to NPCI by August 31. Non-compliance could lead to penalties, restrictions on API access, or even a ban on onboarding new users.

 

The changes are expected to make the UPI ecosystem more stable, especially during high-demand periods.