The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) recently told payment apps and banks, like Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe, to turn off UPI IDs and numbers that haven’t been used for a year. They want to avoid accidental money transfers if people change their phone numbers without unlinking the old ones from their bank accounts. This move was explained in a circular dated November 7, 2023.
Inactive UPI IDs Will Soon Be Deactivated
They decided to do this because old phone numbers might get given to new users, causing unintended money transfers. Now, Third Party App Providers (TPAP) and Payment Service Providers (PSP) have until December 31, 2023, to follow these new rules.
- TPAPs and PSP banks need to find UPI IDs, UPI numbers, and phone numbers of customers who haven’t used UPI apps for a year, whether for money matters or anything else.
- If you haven’t used your UPI ID or number for a while, they’ll switch off the ability to get money, and your phone number won’t be part of the UPI system anymore.
- If your UPI ID and phone number got blocked for getting money, just re-register them in your UPI apps. After that, you can keep using them to make payments and other transactions with your UPI PIN. And guess what? Instant Claim Approval* is on the house!
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Now, before you make payments through ‘Pay-to-contact’ or ‘pay to mobile number’ on UPI apps, they have to check and show you the customer’s name from their system, not just what’s stored in the app. It’s an extra step for your security and peace of mind.
This is to make sure your transactions stay safe. The NPCI circular says it’s crucial for users to check their details in the banking system regularly. They’ve noticed that sometimes people switch to new phone numbers without unlinking their old ones from the bank. Just a heads up to keep things secure!
