The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is set to roll out significant updates to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system starting August 1, 2025. The changes focus on revising API usage policies for banks and digital platforms, particularly for features like AutoPay, transaction inquiries, and balance checks. These measures are aimed at boosting system efficiency and minimizing disruptions during periods of peak usage.

Though routine transactions—such as making payments at your local store—will remain unaffected, users will notice new restrictions on non-payment functions.

Key Updates:

  • Cap on Balance Enquiries:
    Users will now be limited to 50 balance checks per UPI app per day. This cap is intended to cut down on repetitive server requests that burden the system.

  • Limits on Linked Account Info Retrieval:
    Retrieving details of bank accounts linked to your mobile number will be permitted only 25 times per day, helping to streamline API usage.

  • Fixed Windows for Auto-Debits:
    Recurring payments (like OTT subscriptions or SIPs) will only be executed during non-peak hours—before 10 AM, from 1 PM to 5 PM, or post 9:30 PM.

  • Controlled Status Refresh Attempts:
    For pending transactions, users can now check the status only three times, with a mandatory 90-second interval between each attempt.

    • These changes come amid growing strain on the UPI network, which now handles over 16 billion monthly transactions. Frequent balance checks and status updates were identified as major contributors to past slowdowns, prompting the NPCI to implement these stricter guidelines.