P2PUPI now hides phone numbers: what changes for traders
Since 4 September 2026 UPI apps show only the last four digits of a phone number. What else is masked, why NPCI did it and how traders should match payments now.
NPCI instructed all banks and UPI apps to stop showing full mobile numbers in UPI transactions. The deadline was 4 September 2026, so the change is already live in Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and other apps.
What changed
- Only the last four digits of a user's registered mobile number are visible to the other party in a transaction
- In QR code payments the full number is not shown, even after the payment is complete
- Account numbers and UPI IDs (VPAs such as
name@bank) are partially masked in the same way - UPI apps have to let users create a UPI ID that is not based on their mobile number and use it as the default
Why
The change follows long-running complaints about safety and identity theft when full numbers were visible during payments, and it is in line with India's data protection law, the DPDP Act.
What it means for traders
- Do not rely on the payer's phone number to identify a payment. Match orders by amount, time and the transaction reference (UTR) shown in your bank statement or app
- Keep transaction references for appeals. When an order does not match, the UTR and a screenshot of the payment are what support asks for
- Your own number is better protected too — customers no longer see your full mobile number when they pay
- Consider a UPI ID that is not your phone number — apps now have to offer one
Unfamiliar terms such as UTR or appeal are explained in the glossary.
Sources: MediaNama, Business Standard.