Changes to UPI transactions from August 1: Beware of daily limits on balance inquiries and tracking of transactions
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced significant changes to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) rules, effective from August 1, 2025. The changes are aimed at improving the safety, reliability, and speed of digital transactions in India.
Balance Check Limits
To reduce unnecessary system load from excessive balance inquiries, users can check their bank account balance up to 50 times per day per UPI app. Attempts beyond this limit will be blocked [2][4].
Limits on Viewing Linked Bank Accounts
The "List Accounts" API, used to display linked bank accounts, will be restricted to 25 uses per user per day per app. This move curtails repeated API calls that strain bank systems and helps smooth peak hour performance. Any retries to load accounts require user consent [2][3].
AutoPay Timing Restrictions
AutoPay transactions (such as EMIs, bills, subscriptions) will only process during specified non-peak windows:
- Before 10:00 AM
- Between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM
- After 9:30 PM
This scheduling reduces peak-hour traffic, minimizing disruptions and improving transaction speeds [2][4].
Payment Status Checks
A mandatory minimum wait time of 90 seconds before the first transaction status check is required, improving system efficiency and reducing excessive status inquiry traffic [3].
These changes are designed to improve overall UPI ecosystem performance, reduce fraud risks, and enable sustainable growth amid rising transaction volumes and system load [1][3].
No New Information on General Transaction Limits
The focus of these changes is primarily on limiting balance enquiries, account viewing API usage, enforcing timing for autopay transactions, and regulating status check frequency to enhance security and system stability. No specific changes to general transaction limits were mentioned in the rules effective on this date.
Impact on Daily Usage
The regulator believes that the new changes and rules will make payments faster and will not impact the daily usage [6].
Background
These changes in UPI rules are in response to a surge in complaints regarding delays and transaction failures between April and May 2025 [5].
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Ashish Singh, who has a knack for speaking fluent Geek, is the Chief Copy Editor at our platform. Responsible for managing tech jargon since 2020, Ashish enjoys fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategizing his next virtual race, and planning road trips to test in-car tech [7]. Prior to joining us, Ashish worked with Times Internet and Jagran English.
[1] Source 1 [2] Source 2 [3] Source 3 [4] Source 4 [5] Source 5 [6] Source 6 [7] Source 7
- The new UPI rules in technology, introduced by NPCI, include restrictions on checking bank account balance more than 50 times per day per app, as a measure to reduce unnecessary system load.
- In an attempt to smooth peak hour performance and curtail repeated API calls that strain bank systems, the "List Accounts" API usage for viewing linked bank accounts is restricted to 25 times per user per day per app.
