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According to the latest NPCI circular, banks and payment service providers (PSP) will have to update their database regularly by removing numbers that have been disconnected or surrendered i.e., churned mobile numbers.
A steering committee meeting was help on July 16, 2024, and multiple working group discussions for UPI number aimed at enhancing interoperability and user convenience in UPI number-based UPI payments.
If you’re a regular UPI user, get ready for some updates! The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has rolled out a fresh set of guidelines, set to take effect from April 1, under which banks are supposed to update their list regularly by removing numbers that have been disconnected or surrendered i.e., churned mobile numbers. The move is aimed at improving user convenience in UPI number-based UPI payments.
A steering committee meeting was held on July 16, 2024, and multiple working group discussions for UPI number aimed at enhancing interoperability and user convenience in UPI number-based UPI payments.
According to the latest guidelines, banks and payment service providers (PSP) will use the mobile number revocation list/ digital intelligence platform and update their database accordingly at regular intervals, 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 said in a circular dated March 3, 2025.
The guidelines also stated that the UPI apps 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.
UPI app shall ensure clear, non-intrusive communication without misleading/ forceful messaging. Consent shall not be taken or during a transaction in any condition.
Seeding or porting communications of UPI number will exclude miscommunication (for example — the user will stop receiving the money using UPI without taking an action or seeding the number in mapper).
“In case NPCI mapper response time is not as per requirements, PSP app can resolve the number locally, subject to the PSP app report such occurences on monthly basis to NPCI,” NPCI said in the circular.
All members are advised to comply before March 31, 2025, it added.
What Banks and UPI Apps Must Do
By March 31, 2025, all banks and UPI service providers must comply with these new rules. From April 1, 2025, they’ll also need to share detailed monthly reports with NPCI, including:
– Total UPI IDs linked to mobile numbers
– Active unique users per month
– Number of transactions handled using the updated mobile number system
– Locally resolved UPI number-based transactions
With banks updating mobile number records weekly, the risk of failed or misdirected transactions is expected to drop significantly.
