UPI rules have been overhauled; everything you should know

UPI has changed the way India pays for things. Nearly every chai, cab ride, and concert ticket is now just a tap away. But come August 1, the NPCI is switching gears with a fresh set of rules that’ll change how you interact with India’s favourite payment rail.

If you’re the kind who reflexively checks your balance every time the payment goes through (we see you), it’s time to update your UPI playbook. Here’s your cheat sheet for all the new UPI rules on apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, PayTM, and more.

New UPI rules to come into effect starting August 1

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the force behind UPI’s meteoric rise, is tightening things up. With billions of transactions flowing through the system each month, this update is all about reducing digital traffic jams and keeping the UPI experience smooth on your phone.

First up, balance checks are getting a cap. You’ll now only be able to check your UPI account balance 50 times a day. It sounds like a generous limit, until you realise how often you’re double-tapping that check balance button after every coffee run. If you’re in the habit of refreshing for no reason, this change is aimed squarely at you.

Another tweak is that you can now only view your linked bank accounts 25 times a day. Again, it’s more than most of us need, but if you’re managing multiple accounts or switching between UPI apps, you’ll want to be mindful. The idea is to cut down background traffic and keep the system snappy.

Then there’s autopay. It’s not going away, but now it comes with a schedule. UPI-based autopayments (for streaming subscriptions, electricity bills, or EMIs) will only be processed during specific time windows. You don’t have to manually approve anything, but your deductions won’t happen round-the-clock like before. The goal here is to balance the transaction load and keep peak-hour slowdowns to a minimum.

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Not everything’s changing, though. The payment cap remains untouched. You can still send up to Rs 1 lakh per transaction, and up to Rs 5 lakh for select categories like healthcare and education.

One last thing, your UPI-linked number needs to stay active. If it goes dark for 90 days, your account will be deactivated. That’s the new rulebook starting August 1. Share it with your UPI-obsessed friends before they hit that 51st balance check. Stay tuned in to Unboxed by Croma for more tech updates like these.