New Delhi, July 26, 2025: The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is poised to implement substantial revisions to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system from August 1, 2025, affecting the vast user base of applications such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. These changes come in the wake of the system handling nearly 16 billion transactions per month and are aimed at bolstering reliability and mitigating outages resulting from server overload. The new guidelines are designed to streamline digital payments, particularly during high-traffic periods.
To address the issue of service disruptions caused by excessive API calls, the NPCI has introduced restrictions on balance inquiries and autopay schedules. From the new implementation date, users will be allowed a maximum of 50 account balance checks per day, per UPI app, and can access details of their linked bank accounts only 25 times daily. Moreover, recurring transactions, including subscriptions and EMIs, will be scheduled for execution during off-peak hours—specifically before 10 AM, between 1 PM and 5 PM, and after 9:30 PM—to alleviate system congestion. Users attempting to review the status of pending transactions will be limited to three checks, with a mandatory waiting period of 90 seconds between each inquiry.
These measures are a response to the spate of UPI outages experienced in April and May 2025, which were largely attributed to the high volume of balance checks and transaction status inquiries. The NPCI's primary objective is to optimize server efficiency and guarantee uninterrupted service across various platforms. It is important to note that these changes will not affect the routine transactions that users conduct at local businesses. However, those who frequently scrutinize their balance or transaction details may need to adapt to the new constraints.
The existing transaction limits, set at ₹1 lakh for general cases and ₹5 lakh for specific sectors such as healthcare and education, remain unchanged, allowing for substantial financial flexibility. This move is expected to fortify the UPI ecosystem's foundation and provide a more reliable and robust experience for the millions of users who rely on these digital payment solutions.
