NPCI to disable inactive UPI IDs by December 31
What's the story
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has mandated that payment apps disable UPI IDs that have been inactive for over a year by December 31, 2023.
This move is designed to prevent accidental money transfers when customers change their mobile numbers without updating their bank account information.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) states that telecom companies can reassign deactivated mobile numbers to new users after 90 days.
Details
How to protect your account
Users of UPI apps, such as Google Pay (GPay), PhonePe, Paytm, and others, should make sure their ID has not been dormant for more than a year.
Additionally, they should verify all phone numbers linked to their UPI IDs and confirm that none have been inactive for over three months.
By doing so, users can avoid having their UPI IDs deactivated and prevent any issues with unintended fund transfers due to outdated or deactivated mobile numbers.
What Next?
Inactive UPI IDs to be disabled for inward credit transactions
NPCI requires Third Party App Providers (TPAPs) and Payment Service Provider (PSP) banks to identify UPI IDs, associated UPI numbers, and phone numbers of customers who haven't conducted any financial or non-financial transactions for a year.
Inactive UPI IDs and numbers will be disabled for inward credit transactions, and the corresponding phone numbers will be deregistered from the UPI mapper.
Customers with blocked UPI IDs and phone numbers must re-register in their UPI apps to link their UPI again.