New rules from October: LPG Aadhaar verification, FD rate changes and UPI charges explained

October is set to bring a series of regulatory changes that could affect household budgets, LPG consumers, bank depositors and digital payment users.

While some of the changes will take effect from October 1, others will come into force later in the month.

Among the key developments are mandatory biometric Aadhaar authentication for consumers seeking subsidised domestic LPG refills, new disclosure requirements for bulk deposit interest rates and a new Merchant Discount Rate, or MDR, framework for certain high-value UPI merchant transactions from October 15.

Here is what changes and when.

LPG subsidy linked to biometric Aadhaar authentication

From October 1, 2026, domestic LPG consumers will need to have completed Biometric Aadhaar Authentication (BAA) to book refills at the regulated retail selling price with applicable subsidy.

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said the requirement is aimed at ensuring that subsidised LPG reaches eligible households and at preventing duplicate or ineligible connections and diversion of domestic cylinders for commercial use.

According to the government, 27.43 crore consumers, or 89.9 per cent, had already completed the authentication as of September 19.

Consumers who have already completed BAA do not have to repeat the process.

Those who have not completed it can authenticate their Aadhaar through multiple routes.

The process can be completed during LPG delivery, at the distributor's showroom or through the respective oil marketing company's mobile application. Indane customers can use IndianOil ONE, Bharatgas customers can use HelloBPCL and HP Gas customers can use HP PAY.

The government has also clarified that consumers who do not wish to complete biometric authentication will still be able to receive LPG, subject to registering their choice through the available OMC digital channels.

However, the subsidised refill facility is linked to completion of the authentication process.

LPG prices to be reviewed

As is customary at the beginning of a new month, oil marketing companies will review LPG cylinder prices for October.

Domestic and commercial LPG prices are generally revised based on prevailing market conditions and other factors.

The actual October 2026 prices, however, will depend on the rates announced by the oil marketing companies at the start of the month.

Therefore, consumers should check the latest official cylinder price applicable to their location rather than assuming that LPG will necessarily become costlier or cheaper.

UPI charges from October 15

A major change is also coming to the UPI ecosystem, but not from October 1.

From October 15, 2026, a 0.4 per cent MDR will apply to specified person-to-merchant (P2M) UPI transactions above ₹2,000.

The charge is applicable to merchants under the new framework and is not a fee that will be directly collected from ordinary consumers.

The government has clarified that person-to-person UPI transactions will remain free regardless of the amount transferred. Merchant payments up to ₹2,000 and transactions covered under the zero-MDR framework for small merchants will also remain free. The government said around 96 per cent of P2M transactions will remain unaffected.

This means consumers should not interpret the new MDR framework as a blanket charge on UPI payments.

New bulk FD disclosure rules from October 1

Bank depositors will also see changes in the way bulk deposit interest rates are disclosed.

The Reserve Bank of India has amended its directions on interest rates on deposits, with the new rules taking effect from October 1, 2026.

Under the revised framework, banks must disclose their interest rates for bulk deposits on their websites at 10 am on each business day, with a 10-minute grace period, meaning the rates must be available by 10:10 am.

The rules also require deposit interest rates to be disclosed in advance and provide for greater uniformity.

For deposits of the same amount accepted on the same date, banks cannot discriminate between customers or branches when determining the applicable interest rate, subject to the provisions of the revised framework.

For scheduled commercial banks and several other categories of banks, ₹3 crore and above falls within the bulk-deposit framework. The changes are primarily aimed at improving transparency in the pricing of large deposits rather than changing the interest rate on every retail FD.

What changes when?

October 1: Biometric Aadhaar authentication becomes mandatory for subsidised domestic LPG refills.

October 1: New RBI disclosure and uniformity rules for bulk-deposit interest rates take effect.

October 1: LPG companies are expected to announce their monthly cylinder price revisions.

October 15: 0.4 per cent MDR begins for specified UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000.

Consumers: UPI person-to-person payments remain free, while most P2M transactions will also remain unaffected.