The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is preparing to make UPI AutoPay mandates portable across payment apps, potentially removing one of the biggest sources of consumer lock-in in India’s recurring-payments ecosystem. Under the proposed interoperability framework, users will be able to view their active AutoPay mandates on any UPI app and move eligible mandates from one app to another without cancelling and recreating subscriptions, insurance payments, systematic investment plans (SIPs) or loan repayments.
The change is also expected to benefit merchants. Businesses will be able to migrate existing AutoPay mandates between payment gateways or acquiring partners, allowing them to change providers without forcing customers to register their recurring payments again. NPCI’s framework has already been documented in its UPI AutoPay enhancement circular, which provides for both user-side mandate portability and merchant-side portability.
NPCI Plans Cross-App Portability For UPI AutoPay
UPI AutoPay was introduced in 2020 to allow customers to authorize recurring payments directly from their bank accounts.
The service is now widely used for subscriptions, insurance premiums, mutual fund investments, loan repayments and other recurring transactions.
Until now, AutoPay mandates have been closely linked to the UPI app and payment infrastructure through which they were created. Switching apps could therefore create friction because users might have to cancel an existing mandate and establish a new one.
NPCI’s interoperability framework is designed to change that.
UPI AutoPay Portability At A Glance
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Regulator / network operator | NPCI |
| Payment system | UPI |
| Feature | UPI AutoPay interoperability |
| User benefit | View and port mandates across UPI apps |
| Merchant benefit | Move mandates between payment providers |
| Original UPI AutoPay launch | 2020 |
| Portability restriction | Once in a rolling 90-day period |
| User authorization | UPI PIN required for payer-initiated operations |
| Merchant identifier | Standardized Merchant Identifier Code (MIC) |
| New purpose code | AZ |
NPCI’s October 2025 circular formally described the enhanced framework, including mandate viewing, portability and merchant-side migration.
Users Will Not Need To Recreate Every Subscription
The biggest change will be experienced by consumers.
Under the new framework, users can access their active mandates through their preferred UPI app. If they want to switch apps, eligible mandates can be ported rather than cancelled and recreated.
That could be particularly useful for people who use multiple UPI applications.
Before Vs After
| Feature | Existing Model | Interoperable Model |
|---|---|---|
| View AutoPay mandates | Tied to existing app | Across participating UPI apps |
| Switch UPI app | May require recreation | Mandate can be ported |
| Subscription continuity | Potential disruption | Designed to continue |
| Insurance mandates | App-linked management | Portable |
| SIP mandates | App-linked | Portable |
| Loan repayment mandates | App-linked | Portable |
| Merchant gateway switch | Legacy mandates remain behind | Existing mandates can migrate |
The objective is to make the underlying mandate independent of the consumer-facing app.
How UPI AutoPay Portability Could Work
The proposed architecture separates the user’s UPI app from the underlying recurring-payment mandate.
A customer could view an existing mandate, select the option to port it and authorize the action using the existing UPI authentication process.
Existing UPI AutoPay mandate
│
▼
View Mandate
│
▼
User selects
"Port Mandate"
│
▼
UPI PIN /
authorization
│
▼
New UPI app receives
mandate access
│
▼
Recurring payment
continues
NPCI’s rules specifically state that portability must be user-driven and cannot be promoted through cashback, incentives, banners, nudges or other inducements.
All Active Mandates Could Become Visible In One Place
The interoperability push also addresses a second consumer problem: fragmented visibility.
NPCI has been working toward a system through which users can see their active electronic mandates across UPI apps.
An earlier NPCI initiative focused on unified mandate tracking, allowing customers to see subscriptions in one place even when they were created through different UPI applications.
That means users could potentially get a consolidated view of recurring financial commitments.
Potential Unified Dashboard
UPI AutoPay
│
┌─────────┼─────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
Streaming Insurance SIPs
│ │ │
├─────────┼─────────┤
▼ ▼ ▼
EMIs Utilities Other
│
▼
Unified mandate view
│
▼
Manage / Port / Revoke
The exact user interface may vary by UPI app.
UPI AutoPay Is Growing Rapidly
The timing of the interoperability push reflects the rapid growth of recurring UPI payments.
NPCI data cited by Mint showed that the top 10 banks processed nearly 1.8 billion UPI e-mandate transactions in July 2026, compared with around 585 million in July 2025.
That represents an increase of more than 200% in one year.
UPI E-Mandate Growth
| Period | Transactions Processed By Top 10 Banks |
|---|---|
| July 2025 | ~585 million |
| July 2026 | ~1.8 billion |
| Increase | ~1.22 billion |
| Approx. growth | ~208% |
| Multiple | More than 3x |
The rapid growth means even small improvements in mandate management could affect millions of recurring payments.
UPI Itself Is Operating At Massive Scale
AutoPay is only one component of the broader UPI ecosystem.
NPCI data cited by Mint showed that UPI processed a record 23.66 billion transactions worth ₹29.88 trillion in July 2026.
UPI July 2026 Snapshot
| Metric | July 2026 |
|---|---|
| UPI transactions | 23.66 billion |
| Transaction value | ₹29.88 trillion |
| PhonePe volume share | 45.89% |
| Google Pay volume share | 32.33% |
| Paytm volume share | 8.05% |
| Combined share of top three | ~86.27% |
The concentration among the largest apps makes interoperability particularly important for smaller UPI players seeking to compete for users.
Smaller UPI Apps Could Benefit
The current AutoPay system can make customers more loyal to the app through which their recurring mandates are registered.
A user who has multiple subscriptions linked to one application may be less willing to move to another app simply because recreating every mandate is inconvenient.
Industry executives cited by Mint said smaller UPI applications had pushed for interoperability partly because AutoPay could make customers “sticky.”
Potential Competitive Impact
| Player Type | Potential Effect |
|---|---|
| Large UPI apps | Less AutoPay-driven customer lock-in |
| Smaller UPI apps | Easier customer acquisition |
| New entrants | Lower switching barriers |
| Consumers | Greater app choice |
| Merchants | More payment-provider flexibility |
| Payment gateways | Greater competition |
Apps such as Navi, POP UPI and super.money could potentially benefit if users become more comfortable switching platforms without losing their existing recurring-payment arrangements.
Merchant Mandates Will Also Become Portable
The changes are not limited to consumers.
Merchants frequently change payment gateways for pricing, technology, service quality or reliability reasons.
Under the existing model, a merchant switching providers can route new customers through the new gateway while its older mandates remain associated with the previous provider.
Interoperability is designed to eliminate that problem.
Merchant Migration
Old payment gateway
│
▼
Existing AutoPay mandates
│
│ Interoperability
▼
New payment gateway
│
▼
Same customer mandates
│
▼
Future recurring debits
This means merchants would not necessarily have to maintain two payment systems simply because their legacy mandates were created through an earlier provider.
Example: A Subscription Company Switching Gateways
Consider a streaming service that originally used Payment Gateway A.
It has thousands or millions of active AutoPay mandates.
If it switches to Payment Gateway B under the current system, older mandates can remain tied to Gateway A.
Under the interoperable model, the existing mandates could be migrated to Gateway B.
Merchant Example
| Stage | Existing System | Interoperable System |
|---|---|---|
| Merchant signs up customers | Gateway A | Gateway A |
| Merchant changes provider | Gateway B | Gateway B |
| New customers | Gateway B | Gateway B |
| Existing AutoPay mandates | Gateway A | Can migrate |
| Customer re-registration | Potentially required | Designed to avoid it |
| Operational complexity | Higher | Lower |
Cashfree Payments co-founder Reeju Dutta told Mint that interoperability could allow a merchant such as Netflix to move existing mandates from one gateway to another while continuing to charge customers through the new provider.
NPCI Has Created A Merchant Identifier Code
The technical framework also introduces a standardized Merchant Identifier Code (MIC).
NPCI’s circular says Payee PSPs must generate a unique MIC for every merchant in a standardized manner.
The MIC becomes a mandatory parameter for eligible UPI AutoPay mandates using purpose code AZ.
New Mandate Architecture
| Component | Purpose |
|---|---|
| MIC | Identifies merchant consistently |
| Purpose code AZ | Identifies eligible AutoPay mandates |
| Payee UPI ID | Routes merchant-side execution |
| UPI app | Consumer-facing interface |
| Payer PSP | Handles payer-side mandate operations |
| Payee PSP | Handles merchant-side mandate execution |
This architecture is intended to decouple the mandate from a particular payment provider.
Merchants Could Update Their UPI ID
NPCI’s framework also allows merchants to update their existing UPI ID while retaining the same MIC and other mandate parameters in specified circumstances.
The circular says changes to the payee UPI ID for active mandates are permitted in cases such as regulatory direction or discontinuation of services by the Payee PSP.
This creates another layer of resilience for recurring-payment systems.
Merchant Flexibility
Merchant identity
│
▼
MIC
│
├── UPI ID A
│
│ Provider changes
▼
UPI ID B
│
▼
Existing mandate identity retained
The objective is to prevent the merchant relationship from breaking simply because the payment-routing infrastructure changes.
Portability Will Have Limits
The framework does not give unlimited freedom to move mandates repeatedly.
NPCI specifies that a user can port a mandate only once during a rolling 90-day period.
The rule is intended to prevent excessive switching and potential misuse of the portability mechanism.
Consumer Portability Rules
| Rule | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Port initiation | Must be user-driven |
| Authentication | UPI PIN required for payer-initiated operations |
| Port frequency | Once per rolling 90 days |
| Incentives to port | Not permitted |
| Mandate details | Cannot be used for unrelated purposes |
| Mandate location | Manage under designated UPI AutoPay / bank-account section |
These safeguards are designed to balance portability with security.
Apps Cannot Push Users To Port Mandates
An important consumer-protection provision is that UPI apps cannot aggressively encourage users to transfer their mandates.
NPCI specifically prohibits inducements such as:
- Cashback
- Incentives
- Banners
- In-app notifications
- Nudges
- Alerts
- Other app-based or non-app-based solicitation
The “Port Mandate” option must instead be initiated by the user from the mandate details page.
This could reduce the risk of apps using portability as a competitive weapon.
The Technical Implementation Will Be Complex
Interoperability sounds straightforward from a consumer perspective, but it requires substantial changes across the UPI ecosystem.
UPI applications, banks, payment gateways and merchants must all support the new workflows.
Industry executives told Mint that the work is particularly significant for third-party application providers (TPAPs) because the consumer-facing apps must implement the cross-app functionality.
Implementation Challenge
| Stakeholder | Required Change |
|---|---|
| UPI apps | Mandate discovery and portability |
| Payer PSPs | Lifecycle management |
| Banks | Mandate processing |
| Payee PSPs | Merchant migration |
| Payment gateways | Existing-mandate import / execution |
| Merchants | Update integrations |
| Consumers | New management workflow |
This means rollout may not be uniform across every UPI application from day one.
Payment Gateway Interoperability Is Already Emerging
The industry is already beginning to implement the new framework.
Razorpay’s documentation says it began rolling out UPI AutoPay interoperability in stages from July 2026, allowing merchants to discover, import and charge existing mandates registered with other payment aggregators without requiring customers to register again.
This suggests that merchant-side interoperability is moving from regulatory design toward practical implementation.
AutoPay Transaction Failures Remain A Concern
The growth in AutoPay has also brought operational challenges.
Earlier reports indicated that regulators had asked NPCI to examine complaints related to incorrect or unauthorized UPI AutoPay deductions and difficulties cancelling recurring mandates.
NPCI held discussions with banks, TPAPs, payment gateways and merchants to review mandate-related issues.
The interoperability push therefore arrives alongside a broader effort to make recurring payments safer and easier to manage.
The Challenge Of Failed AutoPay Transactions
Rapid growth in mandates does not automatically translate into successful recurring payments.
NewsBytes reported earlier that NPCI data showed approval rates for some banks could be low, with insufficient account balances among the reasons for rejected transactions.
AutoPay Operational Challenges
| Challenge | Potential Impact |
|---|---|
| Insufficient account balance | Failed debit |
| Mandate confusion | Customer complaints |
| App switching | Lost / duplicated subscriptions |
| Gateway downtime | Merchant payment failure |
| Difficult cancellation | Consumer dissatisfaction |
| Fraud / unauthorized debits | Trust concerns |
| Legacy provider lock-in | Merchant inefficiency |
Interoperability addresses some of these structural problems but does not eliminate transaction-failure risks.
UPI AutoPay Could Become More Like UPI QR Payments
The broader philosophy resembles the evolution of UPI QR payments.
Initially, some QR codes were effectively tied to individual payment apps.
Over time, interoperability allowed users to scan and pay through different UPI applications.
NPCI is now attempting a similar transition for recurring payments.
UPI QR evolution
│
▼
App-specific QR
│
▼
Universal QR interoperability
│
▼
Any UPI app can pay
UPI AutoPay evolution
│
▼
App / provider-linked mandates
│
▼
Interoperable mandates
│
▼
View + port across apps
The long-term objective is to make recurring payments as application-agnostic as ordinary UPI transactions.
What It Means For Consumers
For users, the biggest benefit is freedom to choose a UPI app without losing their recurring-payment setup.
Someone could switch applications because of a better user interface, rewards, customer service or banking integration without necessarily rebuilding every AutoPay mandate.
A unified view could also help users identify forgotten subscriptions and recurring financial commitments.
Consumer Benefits
| Benefit | What Changes |
|---|---|
| Easier app switching | Mandates can move |
| Better visibility | Active mandates can be viewed |
| Less re-registration | Existing mandates continue |
| Subscription tracking | More centralized |
| More app choice | Reduced platform lock-in |
| Greater control | User-driven portability |
What It Means For Merchants
Merchants could gain even more from the change in some circumstances.
A payment provider would no longer necessarily have permanent control over a merchant’s legacy AutoPay base.
That could make it easier for businesses to negotiate fees and switch providers.
Merchant Benefits
More payment-provider competition
│
▼
Easier gateway switching
│
▼
Lower provider lock-in
│
▼
Potential pricing competition
│
▼
Better payment infrastructure choices
However, merchants will still need to evaluate reliability, pricing, settlement performance and technical capabilities when selecting providers.
What It Means For UPI Apps
For large UPI applications, interoperability could reduce one source of customer stickiness.
For smaller apps, it could create an opportunity to compete on product experience rather than simply convincing customers to recreate their recurring mandates.
The competitive impact could therefore extend beyond AutoPay itself.
Potential Winners And Losers
| Stakeholder | Potential Impact |
|---|---|
| Consumers | Strongly positive |
| Small UPI apps | Positive |
| Large UPI apps | Mixed |
| Merchants | Positive |
| Payment gateways | More competition |
| Banks | More standardized infrastructure |
| Subscription businesses | Easier provider switching |
The ultimate effect will depend on how quickly apps implement the framework.
The Bigger Picture
NPCI’s planned UPI AutoPay interoperability could represent one of the most important structural changes to India’s recurring-payments ecosystem since AutoPay was introduced in 2020. Users are expected to gain the ability to view active mandates across UPI apps and port them between applications, while merchants could move existing mandates between payment gateways without forcing customers to register again. NPCI’s own framework already provides for user-side portability, merchant-side migration and standardized Merchant Identifier Codes.
The change comes as recurring UPI payments are expanding rapidly. The top 10 banks processed nearly 1.8 billion UPI e-mandate transactions in July 2026, more than three times the 585 million recorded in July 2025. At the same time, the broader UPI network processed 23.66 billion transactions worth ₹29.88 trillion in July, making interoperability increasingly important as users and merchants operate across multiple applications and payment providers.
Looking Ahead
The next stage will be implementation across UPI applications, banks, payment gateways and merchants. NPCI has placed important safeguards around portability, including requiring user-driven initiation, UPI-PIN authentication for payer-side operations and limiting mandate portability to once in a rolling 90-day period. Payment processors such as Razorpay have already begun rolling out interoperability capabilities, suggesting that the framework is moving toward practical adoption rather than remaining only a regulatory proposal.
If widely adopted, interoperable AutoPay could make UPI more competitive by reducing the lock-in created by recurring payments. Consumers would have greater freedom to change apps, while merchants could switch payment providers without abandoning their legacy mandate base. The larger challenge will be ensuring that the new system remains secure, reliable and simple enough for millions of users while handling a rapidly growing volume of automated transactions.
Get the day’s top stories in your inbox
One concise email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
