The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is preparing to make UPI AutoPay mandates portable across different UPI apps<\/strong>, potentially making it much easier for users to switch between payment platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the proposed interoperability framework, users could move eligible recurring-payment mandates from one UPI app to another without cancelling the existing mandate and creating a new one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The development could reduce user lock-in and increase competition between India’s major UPI platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Will Change for Users?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, a user who has recurring payments linked to one UPI application may face considerable friction when switching to another app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, someone using PhonePe for an OTT subscription, insurance premium or SIP may need to cancel the existing AutoPay mandate and set up a fresh one after moving to another UPI platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposed system would eliminate that requirement for eligible mandates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Users could initiate the transfer themselves and authenticate the process using their UPI PIN<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n OTT Subscriptions, Insurance and EMIs Could Be Covered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The portability feature could apply to a wide range of recurring payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These include OTT subscriptions, insurance premiums, systematic investment plans, loan EMIs and utility bills<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is significant because recurring payments are increasingly becoming a regular part of consumers’ digital financial lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of remembering multiple payment dates and manually completing transactions, UPI AutoPay allows users to authorise recurring debits in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NPCI already supports AutoPay for several recurring-payment categories, including bills, EMIs, insurance, mutual funds and entertainment subscriptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why This Could Shake Up UPI Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The change could remove an important but relatively invisible reason why users remain with particular UPI apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person may prefer another payment application but hesitate to switch because several recurring mandates are already connected to the existing platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If those mandates become portable, switching between apps could become considerably easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This could particularly benefit smaller UPI applications, which may be able to attract users without forcing them to rebuild their entire recurring-payment setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm Could Face More Competition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n India’s UPI market is dominated by a handful of major platforms, including PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The portability of recurring mandates would reduce the importance of simply retaining customers because their AutoPay arrangements are already established on a particular application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, apps may have to compete more aggressively on user experience, reliability, features, customer service and other factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the change is unlikely to immediately transform market shares. Its larger impact could come gradually as consumers become more comfortable switching between platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Merchants Could Also Benefit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n NPCI is reportedly planning portability not only for consumers but also for merchants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses could potentially move existing AutoPay mandates between payment service providers when they change payment gateways or other payment partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, changing a payment service provider can create complications because existing mandates may remain tied to the previous provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Portability could reduce this dependency and make it easier for businesses to change providers without asking customers to recreate their recurring-payment instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UPI AutoPay Usage Is Growing Rapidly<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The timing of the proposed change is significant because UPI AutoPay usage has been increasing rapidly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the report, the top 10 banks processed nearly 1.8 billion UPI e-mandate transactions in July 2026<\/strong>, more than three times the approximately 585 million recorded in July 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As recurring digital payments become more common, the ability to manage and transfer mandates efficiently becomes increasingly important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on NPCI’s Earlier Framework<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposed portability system is not an entirely new concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It builds on NPCI’s UPI AutoPay enhancement framework issued in 2025<\/strong>, which provided for interoperability of mandates across UPI applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The feature is now reportedly being prepared for implementation and could receive attention at the upcoming Global Fintech Fest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n NPCI has not yet publicly confirmed all details of the reported rollout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A More Open UPI Ecosystem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposed move could make UPI’s recurring-payment ecosystem more open by separating the mandate itself from the application through which consumers manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That could reduce dependence on individual platforms and make competition more focused on the quality of the service rather than the difficulty of switching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For consumers, the biggest advantage would simply be convenience: changing a UPI app would no longer necessarily mean rebuilding a list of recurring payments from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"UPI](\"https:\/\/trak.in\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-01-at-8.47.19-AM-1024x489.png\")
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