UPI to Get Major API Changes from August 1: Balance Checks, Autopay and More to Be Limited

India’s most-used digital payment platform, UPI, experienced 4 outages between March 26 and April 12, affecting crores of users. The issue was mainly due to excessive backend API requests, like frequent balance checks and transaction status updates. 

NPCI’s New Rules from August 1

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced backend technical changes for all UPI apps. Starting August 1, banks and payment service providers (PSPs) must follow new limits on the use of key APIs.

Key API Changes Users Should Know

• Balance Checks Limited

Users can now check their bank balance only 50 times per UPI app per day.

• Linked Account Enquiries

You can view which accounts are linked to your UPI only 25 times per day per app.

• Autopay Execution Timed

Autopay mandates (for SIPs, subscriptions, etc.) will be processed only during non-peak hours—before 10 AM, 1–5 PM, and after 9:30 PM.

• Staggered Status Checks

Banks can send a maximum of 3 status checks per transaction within 2 hours, with at least 90 seconds between each.

• Transaction Alerts Must Include Balance

Banks must now show updated balances in all transaction notifications to reduce the need for separate balance checks.

Why These Changes Matter

UPI processes around 18 billion transactions a month, and with usage rising, the system has struggled to handle the load. For example, when UPI goes down even for a minute, around 4 lakh people are affected. The new API limits are designed to reduce unnecessary system traffic and avoid future breakdowns.

What It Means for You

Most users won’t notice the changes—unless they regularly check their balance or use autopay features. The 50-check daily cap might get used up quickly on apps that do internal balance checks. But thanks to the new rule that balance updates must be shown after every transaction, users may not need to check manually as often.

Autopay mandates will still be created normally, but they’ll only go through during non-peak hours. For EMIs or subscriptions, this may mean slight timing changes but not missed payments.

Read More: UPI Transactions Hit All-Time High of ₹25.14 Lakh Crore in May 2025!

Compliance and Penalties for Violators

NPCI has made it clear that banks and PSPs must follow these rules. Non-compliance could lead to penalties, a ban on onboarding new users, or restricted access to UPI APIs. All payment apps must confirm compliance by August 31.

Conclusion

As UPI usage continues to soar, these new API restrictions aim to prevent future disruptions and ensure smooth functioning for over 40 crore users. While users may see small changes in how often they can check balances or when payments go through, the goal is to create a more reliable and resilient UPI ecosystem.

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