The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has permanently discontinued the peer-to-peer (P2P) collect request feature on all Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms from October 1, 2025. This step marks a major change affecting over 400 million UPI users across the country. The collect request feature, which allowed users to request money from friends or family members conveniently, has been removed to tackle rising frauds linked to this facility.

Collect Requests Were Easy Targets for Fraudsters

The collect request feature had gained popularity as users could quickly request small amounts of money by sending a payment request that the other party could accept or decline. However, over time, fraudsters began to exploit this feature. These scammers would masquerade as lottery officials, customer service agents, or other trusted entities to send fake collect requests promising rebates, prizes, or refunds. Unsuspecting users, believing the requests were genuine, would approve them and enter their UPI PIN, unknowingly allowing fraudsters to withdraw money from their accounts.

Despite earlier restrictions on collect requests—such as the Rs 2,000 limit per transaction and a daily cap of 50 requests—fraudulent activity continued to rise. By removing this feature, NPCI aims to close a major loophole that compromised user safety and money security.

Core UPI Functions Stay Intact

The removal of the P2P collect request feature does not affect other UPI payment modes. Users can still transfer funds using QR code scanning, entering UPI IDs, or making payments to merchant platforms through collect requests verified as authentic. For example, merchant collect requests used by popular platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy, and IRCTC remain fully operational to ensure smooth business transactions.

This change encourages transactions where the payer has full control and initiation rights, reducing risks associated with pull-based payments. As a result, users will need to rely on push payments and other secure methods to send or request money from contacts.

Boost in Digital Payment Security

NPCI’s decision reflects its commitment to reinforcing UPI as a fast, reliable, and secure digital payment system. With over 19 billion UPI transactions processed monthly, fraud prevention is critical to maintaining trust among users. Experts commend the step as a necessary safeguard that prioritises security over convenience, recognising the cost of the discontinued feature in favour of reducing risks.

Industry leaders echo that improved digital literacy and cautious user behaviour remain vital alongside technological controls. The ban on collect requests is part of wider efforts by NPCI and the Reserve Bank of India to enhance security protocols, including real-time payee name verification and advanced fraud detection tools.

While users may feel the loss of an easy method to request money, the trade-off comes with a safer environment for millions of digital payment users in India. Vigilance and cautious transaction habits remain essential as the digital payments landscape continues to evolve.

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