Blog · Fintech · 25 October 2026 · 4 min read

Inactive UPI ID after 1 year? How to keep receiving money

NPCI lets apps disable UPI IDs unused for a year for incoming money. Learn who is affected, how to stay active and what to do if a payment fails.

By Dhuddu Team

Changed your phone number, or stopped using an old UPI app? Then your UPI ID may quietly become inactive, and a salary refund or a friend's payment could fail to reach you. NPCI, which runs UPI, has a standing rule about this. Here is how it works in plain words.

What the rule says

NPCI asked payment apps and banks to look for UPI IDs, and the phone numbers linked to them, that have not been used for one year. "Not used" means no financial transaction and no non-financial activity (such as checking a balance or changing a setting) in that period.

For such IDs, the following happens:

The UPI ID and any UPI number are disabled for incoming money (inward credit).
The phone number is removed from the UPI mapper, the directory that lets someone pay you using just your mobile number.
You can still make payments and do non-financial actions with your UPI PIN, so you are not locked out of your own bank account.

Reports in 2023 gave a first deadline of 31 December 2023 for this clean-up, and the idea is that it is an ongoing hygiene rule rather than a one-time event.

Why NPCI did this

Mobile numbers get recycled. If you give up a number, the telecom company can later issue it to someone new. If your old number is still linked to a UPI ID, that stranger's phone could end up receiving payments meant for you, or worse, a person could be confused about who they are paying. Clearing out dormant IDs reduces wrong-transfer mix-ups and fraud risk.

Who should care

People who changed SIM or number and never updated their bank or UPI app.
Secondary UPI apps you installed for a cashback offer and then forgot.
Parents or elders who use UPI rarely, perhaps only for a monthly payment.
Anyone with a second bank account that sits idle but still has a UPI ID.

A simple scenario

Priya moved from Pune to Bengaluru and switched to a new number in 2025. Her old number is still the one linked to a savings account she rarely uses. Her landlord's deposit refund is sent to that old UPI ID in 2026. If the ID was disabled for inward credits, the payment fails or bounces back, and Priya spends a week chasing it. A two-minute re-registration would have avoided that.

How to keep your UPI ID active

Use each UPI app you want to keep at least once or twice a year. Even a ₹1 payment to yourself or a balance check counts as activity in many apps.
Update your number with the bank first, then re-link it in the UPI app.
If incoming money stops working, open the app and re-register the account or number. The app will usually walk you through SMS verification.
Delete apps and accounts you no longer need, using the app's "remove account" or "deregister" option, rather than leaving them hanging.
Keep one primary UPI app and tell people the right UPI ID to use.

What to do if a payment to you failed

Check the sender's app for the failure reason and ask them to retry after you re-register.
If money was debited from them and not credited to you, it normally returns to their account automatically within a few working days. If not, they should raise a complaint with their bank or app.
Never share your UPI PIN or OTP with anyone who claims to be "re-activating" your ID. Re-registration is done by you inside your own app, never via a link or call from a stranger.

Practical takeaway

List every UPI app and bank account that is linked to a mobile number.
Remove the ones you do not use, and keep your main ones active.
After any SIM or number change, update the bank first.
Do this check once a year, for example when you file your tax return.

Sources

This is general information, not financial advice. Check your own app and bank for the exact rules that apply to you.

How Dhuddu helps

When you review your UPI apps and accounts, it helps to see where your money actually moves. Dhuddu is a free expense tracker that reads your bank alerts and statements, so you can spot which accounts you really use and which are idle. You can also get it on Google Play.