BIG change in UPI: Special character IDs to be blocked from February 1

New rules related to UPI will come into effect from February 1st. NPCI has issued a circular stating that transactions with IDs containing special characters will be stopped.

G Pay, Phone Pe: New rules from Feb 1

UPI, the United Payments Interface, is a transaction medium in many countries, including India. UPI transactions are increasing not only in cities but also in rural areas. The government has taken several steps on the digital payment platform for the benefit of customers. Once again, there will be a big change in the rules related to UPI.

How much money can be sent via UPI?

The National Payments Corporation of India has decided to reject some UPI transactions and has issued a circular regarding this. The new rules will come into effect from February 1, 2025. From February, NPCI will block financial transactions with UPI IDs containing special characters.

Major change in UPI usage

According to the rules, only customers with IDs using alphanumeric characters can now conduct financial transactions through UPI. This means users can create IDs using letters between A-Z and a-z and numbers between 0-9. Transactions with IDs containing special characters like @, #, % and $ will not be accepted. IDs may be blocked for non-compliance.

Special characters in UPI IDs

Why has NPCI taken this step?

Special characters in UPI IDs will not be accepted. This decision has been taken to increase UPI transactions. Strict orders have been issued to all banks in this regard. Prior to this, NPCI had given instructions to use alphanumeric characters for UPI IDs. However, some banks and apps have not followed the rules. Therefore, the National Payments Corporation of India has now taken strict action.