New UPI Guidelines from August 1: Balance Checks, Linking Limits & More

UPI has revolutionized digital payments in India. Now, almost everyone with a smartphone and a bank account uses UPI apps like Google Pay and PhonePe for transactions, significantly reducing bank visits. Even buying vegetables is done through UPI, highlighting its widespread use.

From August 1, 2025, key changes are coming to UPI. The Indian National Payments Corporation (NPCI) is implementing new rules to streamline transactions and reduce server load on apps like Google Pay and PhonePe. Let's explore these changes.

UPI apps allow checking bank balances. Currently, there's no limit on checks. From August, this changes. Users can check their balance only 50 times daily per UPI app.

This limit aims to reduce unnecessary balance checks, easing the load on UPI app servers and improving performance. NPCI states this will lead to better user experience.

UPI apps can show which bank account is linked to a mobile number. Currently unlimited, from August 1st, users can check this only 25 times a day per app.

UPI apps offer auto-debit for recurring bills like utilities, subscriptions, and EMIs. New limits are coming. To avoid disrupting transactions during peak hours, NPCI is restricting auto-debits to before 10 AM, between 1 PM and 5 PM, and after 9:30 PM daily.

Sometimes UPI payments get stuck. You're debited, but the recipient isn't credited. Checking on these pending payments will be limited to 3 times, with a 90-second gap between checks.

UPI payments in India have exploded, reaching 16 billion transactions monthly. This strains servers, sometimes disrupting services. In April and May, UPI faced several outages.

To ensure smooth service, NPCI is reducing server load by limiting non-essential checks like balance inquiries. This should improve the user experience.