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NPCI reason codes & RBI refund TAT

NPCI returned error? Decode the UPI code first

“NPCI returned error” on Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, or BHIM is a wrapper, not a diagnosis. The NPCI switch or a participating bank declined the request. Open the failed transaction, copy the exact code (U16, Z9, ZM, U30…) and the 12-digit UTR, then search below. Do not retry a pending debit.

Last reviewed 26 August 2026 · 42 codes · Consumer VPAs; PSP labels can vary by app version

Hands holding a phone that shows Payment failed and reason code U16 over an open cash drawer
“NPCI returned error” is a wrapper. Open the transaction, copy the exact code such as U16, and look it up before you retry.

Interactive code resolver

42 codes sourced from NPCI-aligned PSP tables. Codes are case-insensitive.

42 codes

U16Usually no debit

NPCI risk threshold / security block

NPCI switchRisk / securityUsually no debit

Cause: NPCI declined the payment as a transaction-risk (TXNRISK) event. Apps often surface this as “NPCI returned error”. It is a security or velocity check, not a bank outage.

What you should doWait 30–60 minutes before retrying. Do not keep hammering the same payee. If it repeats on every merchant, call the issuing bank and ask whether UPI risk controls are blocking the account.

If you are the merchant: If only some customers fail with U16, the block is on their side. If many fail, pause and verify the VPA has not been flagged.

Permalink #u16
U30If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 (P2P) or T+5 (P2M)

Debit failed at the remitter bank

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: The payer's bank could not complete the debit. This is a remitter-side failure, not a daily-limit code (see Z7, Z8, ZU, U03 for limits).

What you should doOpen the transaction and copy the 12-digit UTR. Check the bank SMS/ledger before retrying. If money left the account, wait for auto-reversal — do not pay again.

If you are the merchant: Do not release goods on a U30 until the credit is visible in your ledger or soundbox.

Permalink #u30
U28If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Bank or PSP technical issue

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: PhonePe maps U28 to an issuing-bank technical error. Other NPCI tables list it as PSP not available. Either the payer's bank or the app's payment service provider timed out on the switch.

What you should doRetry after 10–15 minutes, ideally on mobile data instead of congested Wi-Fi. If it persists, try a second UPI app linked to the same account.

If you are the merchant: A burst of U28s usually means one bank or PSP is degraded, not your QR.

Permalink #u28
U09Pending → success or auto-reversal; RBI outer bound T+1 / T+5

Request-auth timeout

UPI app / PSPTimeout / networkIf debited, auto-reversal applies

Cause: The payer's app did not receive an authorisation acknowledgement in time (Reqauth timeout). The payment may sit in pending while banks reconcile.

What you should doDo not retry the same amount until the first UTR shows Failed or the money is back. Check bank SMS, not only the app tile.

If you are the merchant: Treat as pending. Ask the customer for the UTR and search your settlement list.

Permalink #u09
U66Usually no debit

Device fingerprint mismatch

UPI app / PSPVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The UPI app's device binding does not match NPCI records. Common after a phone change, app reinstall, or rooted/cloned device.

What you should doRe-register UPI on this device: verify the SIM, complete bank OTP, and set/confirm UPI PIN. Then retry.

If you are the merchant: This is almost always on the customer's phone, not the standee.

Permalink #u66
U69No debit

Collect / payment request expired

Customer / PINVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: A collect request or intent timed out before the customer approved it. Nothing moved.

What you should doSend a fresh collect request or ask the customer to scan the QR again. Collect requests are typically valid only for a short window.

If you are the merchant: Generate a new request; do not reuse an expired collect QR or intent.

Permalink #u69
U90If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Issuing bank delayed the payment

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: The payer's bank took longer than the UPI timeout to authorise. The app reports a bank technical issue.

What you should doWait and check the UTR. If the bank is on NPCI's downtime list, retry later or use another linked account.

If you are the merchant: Peak hours (10–11 am, salary week) produce clusters of U90/UT on specific banks.

Permalink #u90
UTIf debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Remitter / issuer unavailable (timeout)

Payer's bankTimeout / networkIf debited, auto-reversal applies

Cause: The issuing bank did not respond to NPCI within the timeout window.

What you should doCopy the UTR, check the bank ledger, and only retry after the first attempt is Failed or reversed.

If you are the merchant: Same handling as other timeouts: no double charge, no goods until credit lands.

Permalink #ut
U54Usually no debit

Transaction ID or amount mismatch

Merchant / requestVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The amount or transaction identifier in the credential block did not match the payment request. Usually a stale intent or a corrupted QR payload.

What you should doGenerate a fresh QR or payment link. Do not reuse an old screenshot. If you typed the amount, confirm it matches the bill.

If you are the merchant: Re-print or re-generate the QR if this repeats on your standee.

Permalink #u54
U67If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Debit timeout

Payer's bankTimeout / networkIf debited, auto-reversal applies

Cause: The remitter bank accepted the request but did not confirm the debit before NPCI timed out.

What you should doTreat as pending. Check UTR and bank SMS. Do not send a second payment for the same bill.

If you are the merchant: Hold the order until the credit or the reversal is visible.

Permalink #u67
U03No debit

Per-transaction amount limit exceeded

Customer / PINLimitsUsually no debit

Cause: The amount is higher than the per-transaction cap set by the customer's bank or UPI profile.

What you should doSplit the payment, use another bank account, or raise the bank's UPI per-transaction limit in the bank app if the bank allows it.

If you are the merchant: For hospital, education, and capital-market MCC codes, NPCI allows higher P2M caps — a consumer VPA will still fail.

Permalink #u03
U80If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Payer PSP technical issue

UPI app / PSPTimeout / networkDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: The customer's UPI app (TPAP/PSP) could not complete the request.

What you should doUpdate the app, switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, or retry from a bank's own UPI app.

If you are the merchant: If only PhonePe users fail while GPay users succeed, the issue is the payer PSP, not your VPA.

Permalink #u80
U86If debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Issuing bank technical issue

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: A technical decline at the customer's bank during authorisation.

What you should doRetry later or switch to another linked bank account.

If you are the merchant: Same pattern as U28/U90 — wait, then retry once.

Permalink #u86
Z9No debit

Insufficient funds in the payer account

Customer / PINBalanceUsually no debit

Cause: The remitter account does not have enough available balance, including uncleared holds.

What you should doCheck available (not ledger) balance in the bank app, including UPI Lite if it was selected. Add funds and retry.

If you are the merchant: Ask the customer to pay a lower amount or use another account. This is not a merchant-QR fault.

Permalink #z9
IENo debit

Insufficient balance (issuer)

Customer / PINBalanceUsually no debit

Cause: Issuer-side insufficient-funds decline. Functionally the same as Z9.

What you should doAdd funds or pick another account, then retry once.

If you are the merchant: Treat like Z9.

Permalink #ie
ZMNo debit

Incorrect UPI PIN (MPIN)

Customer / PINPIN & authUsually no debit

Cause: The 4- or 6-digit UPI PIN did not match bank records. This is the PIN error — not U14.

What you should doRe-enter the PIN carefully. After repeated failures the bank will lock UPI (see Z6). Reset PIN from the app using debit-card + OTP if needed.

If you are the merchant: Never offer to “enter PIN for the customer”.

Permalink #zm
Z6No debit

UPI PIN tries exceeded

Customer / PINPIN & authUsually no debit

Cause: Too many incorrect PIN attempts. The bank has temporarily blocked UPI PIN on that account.

What you should doWait for the bank's cool-off (often up to 24 hours) or reset UPI PIN from the official app. Do not keep retrying.

If you are the merchant: The customer must unlock UPI on their own device.

Permalink #z6
Z7No debit

Transaction count limit exceeded

Customer / PINLimitsUsually no debit

Cause: The remitting member's daily or periodic frequency cap was hit (number of UPI transactions, not rupees).

What you should doWait for the bank's 24-hour window to reset, or pay from another linked account. See /upi-limits/ for bank-wise counts.

If you are the merchant: High-frequency payers (salary day, tuition) hit Z7 even when the rupee cap is unused.

Permalink #z7
Z8No debit

Per-transaction limit set by remitting bank

Customer / PINLimitsUsually no debit

Cause: The amount exceeds the per-transaction cap configured by the payer's bank.

What you should doLower the amount, split the bill, or raise the limit in the bank's UPI settings if offered.

If you are the merchant: Large invoices should use a merchant VPA or a non-UPI rail once customer caps are hit.

Permalink #z8
ZUNo debit

Daily UPI amount limit exceeded

Payer's bankLimitsUsually no debit

Cause: The remitter has exhausted the daily UPI amount cap (bank and NPCI default is typically ₹1,00,000 for consumer VPAs).

What you should doUse another bank account, wait for the daily reset, or for eligible merchant categories use a verified merchant VPA with a higher P2M cap.

If you are the merchant: Incoming P2M on a merchant VPA is not the same cap as a customer's outbound P2P limit.

Permalink #zu
ZANo debit

Customer declined or cancelled

Customer / PINVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The payer cancelled the payment on the PIN/confirm screen, or the collect was rejected.

What you should doAsk the customer to scan again only if they still intend to pay.

If you are the merchant: Not a QR defect. Confirm they meant to cancel before arguing about the bill.

Permalink #za
ZHNo debit

Invalid UPI ID (VPA)

Customer / PINVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The VPA does not exist, is mistyped, or is no longer registered.

What you should doRe-type the UPI ID. If you scanned a printed QR, decode it and confirm the `pa=` value is still active.

If you are the merchant: Reprint the standee if you changed VPA. Old stickers will fail with ZH.

Permalink #zh
ZGNo debit

VPA restricted by the customer

Customer / PINVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The payer has blocked or restricted payments to this VPA, or the VPA is restricted for this credit type.

What you should doPay from another account/app, or remove the payee restriction in the UPI app if you set it.

If you are the merchant: Rare on a shop QR unless a customer previously marked the VPA as spam.

Permalink #zg
ZENo debit

Transaction not permitted to this VPA by the PSP

UPI app / PSPVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: The payer's PSP will not allow this credit to the destination VPA (policy, product, or MCC restriction).

What you should doTry another UPI app or another destination VPA on the same account.

If you are the merchant: If every customer fails, the merchant VPA may be restricted — contact the PSP that issued it.

Permalink #ze
ZDUsually no debit

Validation error

Merchant / requestVPA / requestUsually no debit

Cause: NPCI or the PSP rejected the payload as a validation error (malformed request, bad fields).

What you should doGenerate a fresh payment request. If you built the URI yourself, validate `pa`, `pn`, `am`, and encoding.

If you are the merchant: Use a tested generator. Hand-edited URIs are a common ZD source.

Permalink #zd
YENo debit

Payer account blocked or frozen

Payer's bankAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The remitting account is blocked or frozen by the bank (KYC, lien, deceased, court order, or fraud hold).

What you should doThe customer must visit the bank or complete pending KYC. UPI cannot override a freeze.

If you are the merchant: Accept another account or a different rail. Do not retry.

Permalink #ye
YFNo debit on payer; credit never posted

Beneficiary account blocked or frozen

Payee's bankAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The merchant/payee account cannot receive credits.

What you should doMerchant: call the bank that holds the settlement account. Confirm KYC, freeze, and UPI credit flags.

If you are the merchant: This is your problem, not the customer's. Take the QR down until the bank clears the freeze.

Permalink #yf
ZXNo debit

Payer account inactive or dormant

Customer / PINAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The remitting account is inactive or dormant.

What you should doReactivate the account at the bank, then re-link UPI.

If you are the merchant: Customer-side only.

Permalink #zx
ZYNo credit

Beneficiary account inactive or dormant

Payee's bankAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The payee settlement account is dormant, so credits are refused.

What you should doMerchant must reactivate the current/savings account used for UPI settlement.

If you are the merchant: Take the QR down. Incoming UPI will keep failing until the bank marks the account active.

Permalink #zy
XHNo debit

Payer account does not exist

Customer / PINAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The remitter account number mapped to UPI is invalid or closed.

What you should doRe-link a live bank account in the UPI app and complete registration again.

If you are the merchant: Customer must fix their UPI mapping.

Permalink #xh
XINo credit

Beneficiary account does not exist

Payee's bankAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The account behind the payee VPA is closed or was never valid.

What you should doMerchant: verify the VPA still maps to an open account. Create a new VPA if the old account was closed.

If you are the merchant: Reprint every standee after a VPA change.

Permalink #xi
XYIf debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Remitter CBS offline

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: The payer bank's core banking system is offline or unreachable from NPCI.

What you should doWait for the bank to recover. Check NPCI/bank status. Use another account if urgent.

If you are the merchant: A wave of XY/Y1 on one bank is an outage, not a bad QR.

Permalink #xy
XBIf debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Remitter bank unavailable

Payer's bankBank downDebit possible — check UTR

Cause: The payer's bank is down or not accepting UPI at this moment.

What you should doRetry later or switch accounts. Keep the UTR if a debit SMS arrives.

If you are the merchant: Offer to wait or accept another app/account.

Permalink #xb
Y1If the payer was debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Beneficiary CBS offline

Payee's bankBank downIf debited, auto-reversal applies

Cause: The payee bank's core system is offline, so the credit cannot post.

What you should doMerchant: check with the settlement bank. Customer: keep the UTR and do not retry until reversal or credit.

If you are the merchant: If your bank's CBS is down, all incoming UPI will fail. Announce cash/alternate VPA.

Permalink #y1
BTIf debited: auto-reversal by T+1 / T+5

Acquirer / beneficiary unavailable (timeout)

Payee's bankTimeout / networkIf debited, auto-reversal applies

Cause: The beneficiary bank or acquirer did not answer NPCI in time.

What you should doWait on the first UTR. Only retry after Failed/reversed.

If you are the merchant: Timeouts on your bank look like “pending” to the customer. Confirm in your ledger, not their screenshot.

Permalink #bt
AMNo debit

UPI PIN not set

Customer / PINPIN & authUsually no debit

Cause: The customer has not created a UPI PIN on this account/device.

What you should doSet UPI PIN in the app (debit card + OTP, or the bank's documented method), then retry.

If you are the merchant: First-time UPI users hit this at the counter. Give them a minute.

Permalink #am
B1No debit

Registered mobile number changed

Customer / PINAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The mobile number mapped to the bank account was changed or removed, so UPI device binding is invalid.

What you should doUpdate the mobile number at the bank, then re-register UPI on the new SIM. Old device bindings will keep failing.

If you are the merchant: Customer-side SIM/KYC issue.

Permalink #b1
B3No debit

Transaction not permitted to this account

Customer / PINAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: The account type or product does not allow this UPI debit (NRE, certain overdraft, or bank product restriction).

What you should doUse a supported savings/current account. Confirm with the bank which accounts are UPI-enabled.

If you are the merchant: Not a QR problem.

Permalink #b3
K1Usually no debit

Suspected fraud — remitter bank declined

Payer's bankRisk / securityUsually no debit

Cause: The payer's bank's fraud engine blocked the debit.

What you should doThe customer should call the bank's fraud desk. Retrying can extend the block. Use another account only if the bank says it is safe.

If you are the merchant: Do not coach the customer to bypass a fraud decline.

Permalink #k1
FPNo debit

Payer account frozen

Payer's bankAccount statusUsually no debit

Cause: Issuer reports the account as frozen.

What you should doCustomer must clear the freeze with the bank (KYC, lien, or investigation).

If you are the merchant: Same handling as YE.

Permalink #fp
XPUsually no debit

Remitter bank blocked the payment

Payer's bankRisk / securityUsually no debit

Cause: Issuing-bank policy block (not necessarily a freeze) — product, geography, or rule-engine decline.

What you should doCustomer contacts the issuing bank and asks why UPI was declined.

If you are the merchant: If only one bank's customers fail, it is that bank's rule, not your MCC.

Permalink #xp
XVUsually no debit

Issuing bank blocked the payment

Payer's bankRisk / securityUsually no debit

Cause: Another issuer-side block code used by some PSPs for the same class of decline as XP.

What you should doCall the issuing bank. Do not keep retrying.

If you are the merchant: Treat like XP/K1.

Permalink #xv

Was money deducted?

Trust the bank SMS or passbook over the coloured tile in the app. Pending, Failed, and Success can disagree across the payer app, NPCI, and the merchant ledger for several minutes.

  1. 1. No debit SMS

    Failed without moving money

    Look up the code, fix the cause (PIN, balance, limit, VPA), then retry once. Screenshot fraud still happens — merchants should not release goods on a screen colour.

  2. 2. Debit SMS, merchant unpaid

    Do not pay again

    Copy the UTR. Wait for auto-reversal or a late credit. Raise an in-app dispute only after you have the UTR. A second payment for the same bill creates two live requests.

  3. 3. Debit SMS, merchant credited

    The payment succeeded

    The app tile can lag. Match UTR to UTR. If the customer still sees Failed, they should refresh history rather than refund-chase a settled credit.

Bank vs NPCI vs app — who actually failed?

Every UPI payment hops through the payer app (TPAP), the payer’s PSP bank, the NPCI switch, the payee’s PSP, and the payee bank. The reason code tells you which hop declined. Fixing the wrong hop wastes the retry.

If the code origin isTypical codesWho can fix it
Customer / PINZM, Z6, AM, ZA, Z9Payer: correct PIN, add funds, or approve the collect.
Payer's bankU28, U30, U90, UT, XY, XB, YE, ZU, K1Wait out an outage, raise a limit, or clear a freeze with that bank.
NPCI switchU16 (TXNRISK)Stop rapid retries. If it is account-wide, the issuing bank must review risk flags.
UPI app / PSPU66, U69, U80, ZERe-bind the device, send a fresh request, or try a second app on the same account.
Payee's bankBT, Y1, YF, ZY, XIMerchant problem. Take the QR down until the settlement account can receive credits.

RBI auto-reversal timelines

NPCI often reverses a failed debit in minutes. The legally binding outer bound is the RBI harmonised TAT circular of 20 September 2019. Compensation of ₹100 per day applies after the deadline without a separate complaint for that delay.

SituationAuto-reversal byDelay compensation
UPI fund transfer: account debited, beneficiary not creditedT+1 working day₹100 / day after T+1
UPI merchant payment: account debited, confirmation not received at merchantT+5 working days₹100 / day after T+5
Successful payment to the wrong VPANot auto-reversedRaise a dispute immediately; recovery needs the beneficiary bank / consent

Source: RBI DPSS.CO.PD No.629/02.01.014/2019-20. “T” is the transaction date. UPI runs 24×7; working-day counting still follows the circular.

UTR, UDIR, and who to call

The Unique Transaction Reference (UTR) is a 12-digit id on every UPI attempt. Some apps label it UPI transaction ID or RRN. You cannot file a useful complaint without it.

  1. In the app (first): transaction → Raise issue / Check status / Help. This opens NPCI’s Unified Dispute and Issue Resolution (UDIR) path through the TPAP.
  2. Issuing bank: quote the UTR, amount, date-time, payer VPA, and payee VPA. Ask whether the debit is still held, reversed, or posted.
  3. NPCI: UPI helpdesk 1800-120-1740. Use this when the app and bank bounce you between each other.
  4. RBI Integrated Ombudsman: cms.rbi.org.in if the entity does not resolve the complaint within 30 days (or you reject the reply). Keep screenshots of the UTR and every ticket number.

Related: pending transaction walkthrough · bank-wise UPI limits · decode a printed QR before you trust it.

Sources & method

Code meanings follow PSP documentation that publishes NPCI reason codes. Where two tables disagree on a letter (for example U28 as “PSP not available” vs “bank technical issue”), both labels are shown on the card. Older blog posts that mapped U16 to “bank down”, U30 to “daily limit”, U14 to “wrong PIN”, or U66 to “VPA missing” were incorrect against these tables and have been replaced.

App copy changes without notice. If your bank shows a code that is not here, treat the bank’s own description as authoritative and keep the UTR.

Frequently asked questions

What does “NPCI returned error” mean?
It is a wrapper message, not a single failure. The NPCI switch or a participating bank declined the request. Open the transaction details, note the exact reason code (often U16 for NPCI risk), copy the 12-digit UTR, and look that code up before you retry.
What does UPI error code U16 mean?
U16 is an NPCI transaction-risk (TXNRISK) decline. PhonePe documents it as a security block. It is not “bank server down”. Wait 30–60 minutes, avoid repeated retries to the same payee, and call the issuing bank if every merchant fails.
What does UPI error code Z9 or ZM mean?
Z9 means insufficient funds in the payer account. ZM means the UPI PIN (MPIN) was wrong. Neither typically debits the account. Z6 follows if PIN tries are exceeded.
Money was deducted but the merchant was not paid. How long is the refund?
RBI circular DPSS.CO.PD No.629/02.01.014/2019-20 requires auto-reversal by T+1 working day for UPI fund transfers where the beneficiary is not credited, and by T+5 working days where a merchant payment was debited but confirmation never reached the merchant. Compensation is ₹100 per day after those deadlines. Many failures reverse in minutes to a few hours; do not pay a second time while the first UTR is pending.
Who do I complain to — the app, the bank, or NPCI?
Start in the UPI app with the 12-digit UTR (Raise issue / Check status). If the TAT lapses, use bank customer care. NPCI’s UPI helpdesk is 1800-120-1740. After 30 days without resolution, file on the RBI Integrated Ombudsman portal at cms.rbi.org.in.
Is a green screenshot proof of payment?
No. Confirm the credit in your merchant ledger, bank SMS, or soundbox. Screenshot-spoof apps mimic success screens. Match the UTR, not the colour of the tile.

Physical Display

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