SBI To Suspend UPI Services Temporarily On August 6: Check Alternative Way For Transactions

On August 6, 2025, the State Bank of India (SBI) has announced a brief scheduled suspension of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services. Here’s what you need to know, why this is happening, and how you can continue making seamless digital payments even during the outage.

Why Is SBI Suspending UPI Services?

SBI will be undertaking routine maintenance to enhance its digital payment ecosystem, resulting in UPI services being offline for a short window—precisely from 1:00 AM to 1:20 AM (IST). The bank has assured customers that this maintenance is essential to improving service reliability. Such scheduled outages are often timed during odd hours to minimize inconvenience.

Who Will Be Affected?

If you’re an SBI account holder planning to make UPI transactions (peer-to-peer transfers, online shopping, bill payments, QR code payments, etc.) during the small 20-minute window, these services will not be available. However, SBI’s disruption window is set during late-night hours, when transaction volumes are usually at their lowest.

What About Small Payments? Introducing UPI Lite

UPI Lite, an innovative simplified digital wallet, will continue to operate uninterruptedly during this period. SBI, along with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has emphasized UPI Lite as an effective alternative for low-value, high-frequency transactions—think buying tea, daily groceries, or transit fares.

What Is UPI Lite?

• UPI Lite allows users to load a prepaid wallet (up to ₹5,000) and make instant payments up to ₹1,000 per transaction without needing a real-time bank authorization.

• No UPI PIN is required for UPI Lite payments, making them faster and more convenient.

SBI UPI suspension August 6

• It’s especially useful in locations with poor internet connectivity or if your bank’s core UPI is momentarily offline for situations like this scheduled maintenance.

Recent RBI Update on UPI Lite Limits

• The per-transaction limit: ₹1,000 (as of December 2024)

• The total UPI Lite balance cap: ₹5,000 at any time.

How To Enable and Use UPI Lite in SBI

Step-by-step process:

1. Open your preferred UPI app (like Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm) linked to your SBI account.

2. On the home screen, look for the option to “Enable UPI Lite.”

3. Read and accept the terms and conditions.

4. Enter the amount you wish to load into UPI Lite and select your SBI account.

5. Authenticate the request by entering your UPI PIN.

6. Start making payments instantly with UPI Lite—the feature is now active!

Note: If you change or upgrade your mobile device, deactivate your UPI Lite account first and reactivate it on the new device for security.

Other Alternative Transaction Methods

While most customers can rely on UPI Lite for small purchases, those needing to transact larger sums or access other banking services during this short outage can use these alternatives:

• SBI YONO app: Offers full-suite digital banking—NEFT, IMPS, bill pay, and more.

• Internet Banking: Use SBI’s online banking portal for money transfers, shopping, or paying utility bills.

• ATM Services: Withdraw cash or conduct balance inquiries.

• Debit/Credit Cards or POS payments: Card services will remain available for both in-store and online purchases.

New Digital Payment Rules To Note (from August 1, 2025)

Starting this month, the NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) has introduced new guidelines for all UPI users:

• Daily cap on balance inquiries via UPI

• Limits on the number of accounts you can view or link via UPI in a day

• Stricter mandate execution timing

• Compliance and penalty guidelines for non-adherence by payment providers

These updates are designed to further secure the digital payment process and improve service performance, even during peak hours.

SBI’s Official Statement

“Due to scheduled maintenance activity, SBI UPI services will be temporarily unavailable from 01:00 hrs to 01:20 hrs on 06.08.2025 (IST). Customers may continue to use UPI Lite Services for uninterrupted service. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers.”

FAQs about the SBI UPI Suspension

Q: Will my money be safe during the maintenance period?
Yes. Scheduled maintenance does not affect your account balance or previous transactions. Only new UPI transactions will be paused temporarily.

Q: Can I pay with my debit or credit card?
Yes. Card-based payments (online and POS) will function as usual.

Q: Should I worry about scheduled bill payments?
Most scheduled bills through UPI will wait for the main channel to become available and will process automatically after the outage ends. To be sure, consider scheduling payments outside this window.

Q: What if I need to send a large sum urgently?
Use SBI’s internet banking, YONO app, NEFT, IMPS, or card transfers.

Conclusion

SBI’s temporary UPI service suspension on August 6, 2025, is a short, routine measure to ensure better and more secure digital banking for all users. By using UPI Lite for small payments and SBI’s wider digital and card-based infrastructure, you can remain fully prepared and face zero disruption in your daily transactions—even when the main UPI channel is briefly offline.