The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a circular requiring banks to update their lists on a regular basis, eliminating disconnected or surrendered numbers. The NPCI encouraged all members to conform by March 31, 2025.

According to the most recent circular, numbers that have been disconnected or surrendered, also known as churned mobile numbers, must be updated on banks' databases on a regular basis. According to the circular, this task must be completed at least once per week.

"The activity of recycled mobile numbers reflecting correctly in the bank and PSP/TPAP databases will reduce the chances of errors due to churned mobile numbers," according to the NPCI's circular from March 3, 2025.

Here are some extra criteria regarding UPI Number:

1. Banks and PSP Apps must use the Mobile Number Revocation List/Digital Intelligence Platform (MNRL/DIP) and regularly update their databases, at least weekly. The activity of recycled or churned mobile numbers reflected accurately in the bank and PSP/TPAP databases will limit the possibility of errors caused by churned mobile numbers.

2. For seeding or transferring a UPI number, the UPI App must get explicit user agreement with a clear opt-out option (which is checked by default and must be activated by the user).

a) The UPI App must offer transparent, non-intrusive communication without misleading or coercive messaging. Consent shall not be obtained before to or during a transaction under any circumstances. a) Seeding or porting communications of the UPI number shall exclude miscommunication. (For example, the user will stop receiving money via UPI without taking action to seed the number in mapper).

If the NPCI mapper response time does not meet the standards, the PSP app can resolve the number locally, provided that the PSP app reports such instances to NPCI on a monthly basis.

On July 16, 2024, the UPI steering committee met, and numerous working group discussions for UPI numbers were held, with the goal of improving interoperability and user ease in UPI number-based UPI payments.