From August 1, 2025, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has implemented important changes to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) protocol aimed at enhancing system stability and transaction efficiency across all UPI platforms including PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm.
Daily Balance Check Limit
One of the most significant changes is the imposition of a limit on bank balance checks via UPI apps. Users can now check their account balance a maximum of 50 times per day per UPI app. This means if a person uses multiple apps, each app allows 50 balance checks separately. This limitation is introduced to reduce the server load and response time delays caused by frequent balance inquiries during peak hours.
Additionally, to reduce user dependency on manual balance checks, UPI apps will now automatically display the available balance immediately after every transaction. This update helps users keep track of their account without repeatedly sending balance check requests.
Transaction Status Check Limits
To prevent system overload through rapid, repeated status requests, the new rules allow up to 3 transaction status checks per transaction with a minimum 90 seconds gap between each attempt. This curbs excessive traffic generated by automatic retries or users repeatedly querying transaction status in case of network delays.
AutoPay Mandate Restrictions
Recurring automated payments via UPI AutoPay mandates (such as for electricity bills, OTT subscriptions, or water bills) are now restricted to non-peak hours only. Peak hours have been designated as 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm. AutoPay mandates can be executed only in the intervals before 10:00 am, between 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm, and after 9:30 pm. This scheduling helps reduce peak load on UPI infrastructure and improves transaction success rates.
Limit on Linked Account Views
The frequency of viewing linked bank accounts through a UPI app is now limited to 25 times per day per app. This function, if overused, can congest server responses as apps continuously verify linked accounts in the background.
Rationale and Impact
These changes are part of NPCI’s broader initiative to improve the efficiency, stability, and security of the UPI ecosystem. By controlling API request rates through these limits, NPCI aims to reduce failed transactions and maintain a fast payment environment despite growing transaction volumes—UPI currently processes over 18 billion transactions monthly and leads global fast payments.
Regular users will not need to take any action as these limits and features will be handled by UPI apps automatically. The adjustments are expected to optimize backend performance without disrupting users’ ability to make seamless payments.
Summary of New UPI Rules:
- Max 50 balance checks per UPI app daily
- Max 3 transaction status queries per transaction, 90 seconds apart
- AutoPay transactions limited to non-peak hours (before 10am, 1pm-5pm, after 9:30pm)
- Max 25 linked account views per app daily
These reforms emphasize efficient digital payment usage and align with India’s ambition to maintain UPI as a world-leading fast payments platform.
