UPI Rules Changing From Next Week: Banks To Implement These Rules From April 1; Check What's New

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a circular mandating banks to update their list regularly by removing numbers that have been disconnected or surrendered. All members are advised to comply before 31 March 2025, said NPCI.

The latest circular mentions that the numbers which have been disconnected or surrendered i.e., churned mobile numbers, have to be updated on the banks' their database at regular intervals. The circular says that this task has to be carried out at least on a weekly basis.

“The activity of recycled mobile numbers reflecting correctly in the bank and PSP/TPAP databases will reduce the chances of errors due to churned mobile numbers," NPCI's March 3, 2025 circular mentioned.

1. The Banks, PSP App shall use the Mobile Number Revocation List/Digital Intelligence Platform (MNRL/DIP) and update their database accordingly at regular intervals, at least on weekly basis. The activity of recycled or the churned mobile numbers reflecting correctly in the bank and PSP/TPAP databases will reduce the chances of errors due to churned mobile numbers.

2. UPI App shall obtain explicit user consent with clear opt-out option (by default checked out, and user needs to click on opt-in) for seeding or porting UPI Number.

a) UPI App shall ensure clear, non-intrusive communication without misleading/forceful messaging. Consent shall not be taken before or during a transaction in any condition. b) Seeding or porting communications of UPI number shall exclude miscommunication (For example - the user will stop receiving the money using UPI without taking an action on seeding the number in mapper)

In case of NPCI mapper response time is not as per requirements, then the PSP app can resolve the number locally, subject to the PSP App report such occurrences on monthly basis to NPCI.

A UPI steering committee meeting was held on July 16, 2024 and multiple working group discussions for UPI numbers were held which were aimed at enhancing interoperability and user convenience in UPI number-based UPI payments.