UPI services for THESE numbers will not be available from April 1. Who will lose access, how to avoid & more

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has asked banks and payment service providers (PSPs) to remove UPI IDs connected with inactive mobile numbers from April 1. Users with such mobile numbers will not be able to use payment apps such as Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe, etc.

Why is NPCI taking action against inactive numbers?

According to NPCI, inactive mobile numbers linked to UPI IDs are a security threat. Users who change or deactivate their mobile numbers without updating their bank details may potentially face security risk as reassigned numbers could still be linked to previous UPI accounts. If such numbers are given to somebody else in the future, fraudsters could misuse them. To avoid this situation, NPCI has asked banks and payment apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm to remove inactive numbers from the UPI network.

Who will lose access to UPI payments?

• If the mobile number has changed and it is not updated with the bank, such users will lose access.
• People who have deactivated their numbers without updating them to their banks.
• Mobile numbers deemed to be inactive, reassigned, or deactivated may face temporary disruption in UPI services unless they update their records with their bank.
• UPI users with mobile numbers are reassigned to somebody else.

How to avoid it?

• Make sure that the mobile numbers linked to the bank account are active. If not, users should activate them as soon as possible.
• Users must update their mobile number with the bank account linked to UPI.
• If any mobile number linked to the UPI ID is inactive, UPI users can get a new number and update their bank records accordingly before April 1 to avoid disruptions in UPI services.

What will banks do?

• NPCI has asked banks and PSPs to regularly check and remove inactive, reassigned or deactivated mobile numbers. Additionally, Mobile numbers flagged as inactive, reassigned, or deactivated by telecom providers and listed in the Mobile Number Revocation List will be reviewed for UPI delinking by banks and PSPs.
• Banks will send a notification to users with inactive numbers before cancelling UPI services.
• If the users do not activate their mobile numbers after notifications to the banks, the UPI ID will be removed to avoid fraud.
• Banks will not remove UPI access to IDs whose mobile numbers are updated before April 1.