UPI AutoPay Portability – National Payments Corporation of India

The UPI AutoPay feature is about to become more flexible thanks to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This significant change will allow users to easily transfer AutoPay mandates between different UPI applications, which may lower user lock-in and amplify competition among UPI services, as detailed in a report by Mint.

Understanding UPI AutoPay Mandate Portability

With the new interoperability framework, users will have the ability to transfer eligible UPI AutoPay mandates from one app to another without the need to cancel and recreate them. This feature is particularly beneficial for managing recurring payments, including OTT subscription fees, insurance premiums, SIPs, EMIs, and utility bills.

Seamless Transfers Across Apps

For example, if a user has an AutoPay mandate set up on PhonePe, they can transfer it to Google Pay or another UPI application, provided the mandate qualifies for this feature. The user will initiate the transfer and authenticate it using their UPI PIN.

Impact on User Experience and Competition

This development may alleviate one of the often-overlooked factors keeping users tied to leading UPI applications like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay. Individuals with numerous recurring payments linked to a single app may hesitate to switch due to the hassle of re-establishing each mandate. With portability, that barrier could significantly diminish, allowing smaller UPI applications to attract users from larger competitors without needing to reset their payment arrangements.

NPCI’s Enhancement Framework

This advancement aligns with the AutoPay enhancement framework introduced by NPCI in 2025, which laid the groundwork for the interoperability of mandates across UPI applications. The implementation of this feature is on the verge of being realised and is anticipated to be showcased at the forthcoming Global Fintech Fest, according to Mint.

Growing Usage of UPI AutoPay

The timing for this initiative is crucial as the usage of UPI AutoPay has seen significant growth. Data from the report indicates that the top ten banks processed close to 1.8 billion UPI e-mandate transactions in July 2026, soaring more than threefold from the 585 million transactions recorded in July 2025.

Merchant Side Portability

Additionally, NPCI is expanding this portability feature to the merchant sector, enabling businesses to shift existing AutoPay mandates among various payment service providers.

Future Market Dynamics

While this shift may not instantly change the market share of major UPI applications, it could decrease one factor contributing to user lock-in. In a landscape largely controlled by significant players such as PhonePe and Google Pay, this change might create more opportunities for smaller apps to compete for users.