If you also use UPI (Unified Payments Interface) facility on payment service providers (PSPs) like PhonePe, Google Pay or Paytm daily, then this news is very important for you. From August 1, 2025, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is going to implement new rules, which can change the way UPI transactions take place. The NPCI will launch a new Application Programming Interface (API) usage rules for banks and PSPs.

The purpose of these rules is to make the UPI system faster, safer and more reliable, so that problems like outages can be avoided in future.

These changes may seem technical, but they will have a direct impact on your everyday digital payment experience.

Major changes to be implemented from August 1

1. Balance check limit

    Now you will be able to check your account balance up to 50 times a day per UPI app. This will prevent unnecessary API calls from being made repeatedly, which slows down the system.

    2. Information on linked accounts

      The information about which bank accounts your mobile number is linked to can now be viewed only 25 times a day.

      3. Time slot for autopay payments fixed

        Now subscription-based auto debit (like Netflix, SIP etc.) will be processed only during non-peak times: Before 10 am, between 1 pm and 5 pm, and after 9:30 pm.

        4. Limit on UPI transaction status check

          If a payment is stuck, you will now be able to check its status only three times, and a gap of at least 90 seconds will be required between each check.

          The purpose of all this is to reduce the load on the UPI server and prevent problems like frequent outages.

          Also read: NPCI’s UPI overhaul: Know what is changing from August 1

          Major changes in the last 6 months:

          1. Reduction in API time limit for better speed

            In June 2025, NPCI reduced the response time of UPI APIs to 15 seconds for request-pay and response-pay and 10 seconds for transaction status check and failed transaction reversal. This increased the speed of transactions and created the possibility of immediate correction in case of failure.

            2. Correct name will be visible before payment

              From June 30, 2025, before making every UPI payment, you now see the actual bank registered name of the beneficiary. This is expected to reduce fraudulent transactions drastically.

              3. Chargeback limit fixed

                NPCI fixed the chargeback limit in December 2024 – a consumer can claim a chargeback maximum: 10 times in 30 days and up to 5 times with the same person / institution.

                Why were these changes brought?

                Around 16 billion transactions take place on UPI every month. There were frequent complaints of outages in April and May, which affected millions of users.

                NPCI believes that most of the problems are caused by excessive calls on UPI APIs – like checking balance every 2 minutes or refreshing the same transaction repeatedly.

                The new rule will stop these unnecessary calls, making the system more fast, smooth and reliable.

                Also read: ‘Buy Now Pay Later’ trap: How even a Rs 1,000 default can damage your credit score more than a missed EMI

                What should the user do?

                -Keep the limit in mind while checking balance and transaction status.

                -Now understand the non-peak time for autopay payments and transact accordingly.

                -Check the name that appears while making payment to avoid fraud.

                -Avoid doing chargebacks repeatedly, otherwise the limit may be exhausted.

                Summing up…

                UPI has become the most trusted and easy mode of payment in India, but its future will be secure only if the system remains stable and fast. NPCI’s new rules are an important step in this direction. If you are a regular UPI user, then it is very important to understand these rules and change your digital behavior accordingly.