UPI Payments To Get Lightning Fast: Speed Boost, New Limits Rolling Out Today
UPI Update: The widely used UPI (Unified Payments Interface) platform is about to become significantly faster and more efficient. Starting June 16, users can expect their transactions to process in almost half the time, with more system upgrades planned for August to enhance security and reduce congestion during peak hours.
Speed Upgrade Starts Today
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has initiated a system-wide upgrade to cut down the time it takes to complete UPI transactions. According to a circular dated April 26, 2025, all member banks and payment platforms such as PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm have been asked to upgrade their systems to meet tighter response time requirements.
Transactions that previously took around 30 seconds — including fund transfers, status checks, and reversals — will now be processed within 10 to 15 seconds. Additionally, verifying UPI handles such as mobile numbers or UPI IDs will take just 10 seconds, down from the earlier 15 seconds.
These enhancements are expected to significantly reduce delays during digital payments, especially during high-traffic periods.
More User-Friendly Changes Coming in August
The improvements don’t stop with faster transactions. As per a second NPCI circular issued on May 21, several new features will roll out in August to streamline the user experience and reduce system load.
- Balance Enquiries: Users can check their bank account balances up to 50 times per day via UPI.
- Linked Account View: A daily limit of viewing up to 25 linked accounts will be enforced.
- Autopay Mandate Rules: Only one attempt and up to three retries will be allowed per automatic payment mandate. Notably, retries will be restricted to non-peak hours.
These changes aim to optimise system performance and prevent unnecessary network strain during busy transaction periods.
Managing Peak Hour Pressure
To manage traffic better, NPCI has officially defined peak hours for UPI as 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm. All participating banks and payment platforms have been instructed to implement these updates by July 31, 2025.
The focus is on creating a faster, smarter, and more reliable digital payment infrastructure. By enforcing tighter controls and response benchmarks, NPCI is working toward a smoother and more dependable UPI experience for India's rapidly growing base of digital users.
As digital transactions continue to surge, these upgrades are seen as crucial steps to future-proof the UPI ecosystem.
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