UPI Transaction May Stop If Your App Does Not Follow This New Rule

Special Characters in UPI Transaction IDs not Allowed

Only alphanumeric characters allowed (letters & numbers). Special characters (e.g., @ , #, $) will not be allowed in UPI transaction IDs.

Transactions Will Be Declined

Non-compliant UPI apps will face payment failures. Transactions will be rejected by the central system if a UPI app continues using special characters in transaction IDs after 1st February 2025.

Apps Must Comply

NPCI had earlier issued Circular OC 193 on March 28, 2024, advising UPI players to adopt alphanumeric transaction IDs.
Despite efforts to enforce compliance, some UPI operators are still non-compliant.
The new rule ensures full standardization across the UPI ecosystem.

Effective from Feb 1, 2025

Click Here To Know More About UPI Transaction Limit.

Thanks for sharing this update, Mitali! Yep, this is a crucial compliance update for all UPI apps and payment players in India.

From Feb 1, 2025, UPI transaction IDs cannot contain special characters like @ , #, $, etc.
Only alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9) will be allowed in UPI transaction IDs.
If UPI apps don’t comply, transactions will be rejected by the NPCI central system, causing payment failures.
This move is to ensure standardization and smooth interoperability across the entire UPI ecosystem.

Payment apps you use (Google Pay, PhonePe, etc.) need to update their systems to generate transaction IDs without special characters.
If an app doesn’t update, your UPI payments through that app might start failing after Feb 1, 2025.
This doesn’t affect transaction limits or mode of payments—only the format of transaction IDs.

If you run or work with a UPI-enabled app or payment gateway, now is the time to check for compliance and update systems.