The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced new guidelines for numeric UPI ID solutions to improve customer experience in number-based payments. These guidelines will take effect from April 1, making it mandatory for UPI member banks, UPI apps, and third-party providers to comply.

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As per the new norms, if a UPI user’s registered mobile number becomes inactive for an extended period, their UPI ID will be unlinked, preventing them from using UPI services. Users must ensure that their registered mobile numbers remain active to continue using UPI without disruption.

To avoid issues, users must keep their bank records updated with their active mobile numbers. Problems may arise if UPI services remain linked to inactive or reassigned mobile numbers.

According to the Department of Telecom (DoT) regulations, a disconnected mobile number can be reassigned to a new user after 90 days. Telecom providers deactivate numbers that are not used for calls, messages, or data, categorising them as recycled or churned numbers.

Banks to update mobile records weekly
Under the revised guidelines, a user's bank-verified mobile number will serve as their UPI identifier. Banks and UPI applications must update their mobile number records weekly to prevent errors due to recycled or modified numbers.

UPI applications must obtain user consent before assigning numeric UPI IDs. Users must opt in for this feature, as the default setting remains opted out.

In cases where NPCI verification is delayed, UPI applications may temporarily resolve numeric UPI ID issues internally. However, such cases must be documented and reported to NPCI on a monthly basis for monitoring.

With IANS