National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced new directives aimed at enhancing the security and efficiency of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. These guidelines, set to come into effect on April 1, 2025 require banks, Payment Service Providers (PSPs), and third-party UPI service providers like PhonePe, GPay and Paytm to implement specific measures concerning numeric UPI IDs.
According to the NPCI’s directive, “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.”
What it means for UPI users
As mentioned above, banks and PSPs must utilize the Mobile Number Revocation List/Digital Intelligence Platform (MNRL/DIP) to update their databases at least once a week. This aims to reduce transaction errors caused by outdated or reassigned mobile numbers.
According to guidelines from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), a mobile number that has been disconnected can be reallocated to a new subscriber after a gap of 90 days. Typically, if a subscriber makes no calls, sends no texts, or does not use data on a particular mobile number for three months, it is deactivated by the telecom service provider. These operators then reassign such mobile numbers to another subscriber after a certain time gap. These are known as recycled or churned numbers.
With the new UPI guidelines starting April 1, 2025, UPI IDs linked to inactive mobile numbers will be deactivated. If your bank-registered mobile number has been inactive for an extended period, your associated UPI ID will be unlinked, rendering UPI services inaccessible.
Users are advised to ensure that their mobile numbers registered with their banks are active and up-to-date. Failure to do so may result in the suspension of UPI services linked to inactive or reassigned numbers. Regularly updating bank records with current mobile numbers will help maintain seamless access to UPI services.
Meanwhile, NPCI has also started eliminating “Collect Payments” features from the UPI to address growing frauds. According to an Economic Times report, this pull-payment system will be restricted to only large, verified merchants, while person-to-person collect payments will be capped at Rs 2,000.
