Key Points
UPI IDs deactivated if linked to inactive mobile numbers
Banks must update records weekly
Users must opt-in for numeric UPI IDs
Apps must report unresolved issues to NPCI
It will be mandatory for UPI member banks, UPI apps and third-party providers to follow these new guidelines.
According to the new norms, the UPI ID linked to the inactive mobile number will become inactive. That is, if the mobile number registered with the bank of a UPI user is inactive for a long time, then the UPI ID of the user will also be unlinked, and the person will not be able to use the UPI service.
In such a situation, every person using the UPI service will need to ensure that the mobile number registered with his bank is active.
UPI service can be used without any problem only if the bank records are kept updated with the correct mobile number. There may be problems with the UPI service associated with inactive or reassigned mobile numbers.
According to the new rules of the Department of Telecom (DoT), a mobile number can be assigned to a new user after 90 days of disconnection. If a customer's mobile number is not being used for calls, messages or data, then such numbers are deactivated by telecom providers. These numbers are called recycled or churned numbers.
Under the new guidelines, the user's bank-verified mobile number will act as the user's UPI identifier.
On the other hand, banks and UPI applications will also need to update their mobile number records every week so that mistakes caused by recycled or modified numbers can be avoided.
Applications will need to seek permission from users before assigning numeric UPI IDs. Users must actively opt in for this feature as the default setting is opted out.
In case there is some delay in the NPCI verification, UPI applications may temporarily resolve numeric UPI ID issues internally. These issues will need to be documented and reported to NPCI on a monthly basis for monitoring purposes.
