If you also make payments using UPI, now transactions exceeding Rs 10,000 may face a one-hour delay in receiving funds. Indeed, the government is considering changes to UPI rules.

If you also make payments using UPI for every small and big thing, then this news may prove useful to you. In fact, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering a new rule to curb digital fraud. Under this rule, if youUPIIf you make a transaction of more than ₹10,000 via IMPS, there may be a one-hour delay in the arrival of funds. This 'cooling period' is intended to protect customers from fraud.RBIThe government has sought suggestions on this proposal till May 8, 2026, after which final guidelines can be issued in this regard.

RBI sought suggestions

Simply put, in the era of Digital India, where we send money anywhere in the blink of an eye, this pace is about to slow down. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is preparing to implement a very strict new rule to curb the rapidly increasing online fraud in the country. Under this new proposal, if you send an amount of more than ₹10,000 to someone through UPI or IMPS, the money will not be credited immediately. Instead, a one-hour cooling period may be imposed on the transaction. This simply means that the person to whom you are sending the money may have to wait up to one hour to receive the amount. The RBI has sought suggestions on this plan until May 8, 2026, after which it can be finalized and implemented.

Why is this rule important?

The primary reason behind this strict measure is the significant losses caused by online fraud. In 2025 alone, people in India lost over ₹22,000 crore due to digital fraud. Statistics show that while transactions larger than ₹10,000 are few in number, approximately 98.5% of the total value of fraud comes from this category. Often, fraudsters use social engineering, intimidating or luring people into transferring money immediately. The purpose of this one-hour holding period is to give victims time to reflect and understand. If someone realizes they have been defrauded, they can cancel their transaction within that one hour and save their hard-earned money from being lost.

There may be more changes

Beyond just a one-hour break, the RBI is also implementing some other significant security changes. To protect the elderly, a rule is being developed that requires the permission of a trusted person for those over 70 to transfer funds exceeding ₹50,000. Banks may also be instructed to credit personal or small business accounts with a sudden deposit of more than ₹2.5 million only after thorough verification. Furthermore, a "kill switch" option will be provided, allowing customers to instantly disable all digital services, including UPI, net banking, and cards, with the press of a button if they suspect fraud. While this may cause immediate inconvenience to some, it could prove to be a revolutionary step in safeguarding their deposits.