The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced that starting February 1, 2025, UPI transactions containing special characters in their transaction IDs will be declined. This new rule requires all UPI transaction IDs to be strictly alphanumeric, meaning any transaction ID containing special characters such as @, !, or # will be automatically rejected by the system.
The decision aims to ensure compliance with UPI’s technical specifications and improve the overall safety of the digital payments platform.NPCI had previously issued a circular in March 2024 instructing all UPI participants to generate transaction IDs using only alphanumeric characters. Despite efforts to improve compliance, some ecosystem participants have continued to generate transaction IDs with special characters.
NPCI has advised all UPI members to take necessary action and inform relevant stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition. Users are encouraged to check their UPI apps for updates and ensure their transaction IDs comply with the new rules to avoid disruptions.
Read the circular here
Reference may be taken from our OC 193 dated 28th March 2024 wherein UPI ecosystem players were advised to use only alphanumeric characters for generating UP| transaction ID. This is to ensure compliance with UPI technical specifications.
We have been working with the ecosystem to improve compliance, though the issue has been largely resolved, it is observed that a few of the participants continue to be non-compliant.
Considering the criticality of compliance to the specifications, it has been decided not to allow any special characters in UPI transaction ID. Any transaction with ID containing special characters shall be declined by the central system.
This shall be effective 1st February 2025A. All participating entities are advised to take note of the above and ensure compliance. The information herein may please be disseminated to all the concerned for necessary action.