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Up until now, UPI Autopay mandates are tied to a specific UPI app (PSP). If a customer changes their UPI app, their existing mandate does not follow. They would need to cancel it and create a new one, or manage the recurring payment across two different apps. Mandates were also currently bound to a single payment processor. NPCI Circular OC-163 introduces an interoperability standard that decouples mandates from specific apps and processors. The technical change involves a new purpose code (AZ) and a Merchant Identifier Code (MIC) derived from the merchant’s corporate PAN, replacing the existing purpose code (14).
Regulatory BasisNPCI mandates this change via Circular OC-163 (Furthering Interoperability in UPI Ecosystem) and its addendum OC-163A. Razorpay is implementing compliance in stages starting July 2026.

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What Interoperability enables

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What Changes and What Does Not

What Will Change

  • Razorpay will migrate existing mandates to purpose code AZ (from 14) automatically, over a weekly rolling schedule.
  • When your customer switches their UPI app (payer port), Razorpay will update the stored VPA and UMN, with no action from you.
  • New mandates will eventually be created as interoperable by default, pending NPCI’s confirmation of ecosystem readiness.
  • Ineligible mandates (unsupported remitter bank or PSP) will not migrate immediately. They will be retried in future cycles as ecosystem coverage expands.

What Stays the Same

  • Your Razorpay API integration — no code changes required
  • Mandate registration flow for your customers
  • Debit execution APIs and webhooks
No integration changes requiredThe initial rollout is backend-driven. Razorpay handles mandate migration, payer port callbacks and switch updates automatically.

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How it Works

The core change is moving from a PSP-bound mandate (purpose code 14) to a platform-neutral mandate (purpose code AZ). Here’s what that means end-to-end:

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Mandate Migration (Existing Mandates)

  1. Razorpay identifies eligible mandates: Each week, Razorpay’s backend scans your active mandates and checks if the payer’s remitter bank and PSP support interoperability. Eligibility is determined against the NPCI live player list.
  2. Migration request sent to payment switch: For eligible mandates, Razorpay sends a ReqMandate API call with type = UPDATE to upgrade the purpose code from 14 → AZ on both the APB and Axis payment switches.
  3. NPCI confirms migration: NPCI assigns a new UMN (Unique Mandate Number) to the migrated mandate. Razorpay stores the updated UMN against your mandate record, with no change to your token_id or subscription_id.
  4. Debit execution continues normally: All scheduled debits proceed as usual. The mandate now routes correctly regardless of which UPI app your customer uses.

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Payer Port (Customer Switches UPI App)

  1. Customer ports mandate in their UPI app: The customer initiates a port from, say, PhonePe to Google Pay directly in their UPI app. This is a standard NPCI payer-side porting action — your customer does not need to contact you.
  2. NPCI sends a port callback to Razorpay: NPCI notifies Razorpay with the updated payer VPA and new UMN.
  3. Razorpay updates mandate records: Razorpay automatically updates the stored VPA and UMN in your mandate record. The next debit will use the updated payer details. No action is required from you or your customer.

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Eligibility

Interoperability coverage depends on the payer’s remitter bank and UPI app (PSP) supporting the NPCI standard. Coverage is expanding as more institutions certify. Mandates where either the remitter or PSP is not yet certified will be retried automatically in future weekly migration cycles.
Watch Out!Migration covers mandates where both the payer’s remitter bank and TPAP are in the NPCI-certified interoperability list. Ineligible mandates continue to work on the current flow and are retried in future migration cycles as ecosystem coverage expands.
The table below lists entities currently certified by NPCI for interoperability. Coverage is expected to grow as more banks and UPI apps complete certification.

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Business Action Items

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Prepare for Mandate Interoperability

If you currently process recurring mandates through another payment aggregator and want to start debit execution via Razorpay, here is how to prepare.
  1. Check readiness with your existing payment aggregator: Confirm that your current PA has upgraded to the interoperable purpose code (AZ) for your mandates. Ask them how mandate details will be shared with you for subsequent debit processing, specifically the format and delivery method for the mandate data file.
  2. Ensure you can export the required mandate fields: To begin debit processing with Razorpay, you will need to provide the following details for each mandate:
  3. Get in touch with Razorpay to begin integration and testing: Once you have mandate data ready, reach out to our team to start the onboarding process. We will validate your mandate file, walk you through the integration, and run end-to-end testing before go-live.
Register your interestFill out the form below and our team will get in touch with next steps.Get Onboard with Interoperability

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes, migration is automatic. Razorpay runs a weekly job that identifies eligible mandates and migrates them to the interoperable purpose code (AZ). You do not need to request migration or change anything on your end. Only mandates where the payer’s remitter bank and UPI app both support interoperability will migrate in each cycle. The rest will be retried automatically in future cycles as ecosystem coverage grows.
No. The mandate migration is invisible to your customers. Their debit schedule, amounts and existing authorisations remain unchanged. They will, however, gain the ability to switch their UPI app without disrupting their recurring payment. You need not cancel and re-register a new mandate.
The mandate will continue to function normally on the existing (non-interoperable) purpose code. It will be automatically retried for migration in future weekly cycles as more remitter banks and PSPs complete NPCI certification. You do not need to track or manage this. Razorpay handles it.
Razorpay ensures there is no overlap between the old mandate and the migrated mandate. Migration is a pure UPDATE operation. It does not create a new mandate or alter the debit schedule. Only one active mandate is ever held per customer.
A payer port happens when your customer changes their UPI app (for example, from Paytm to BHIM). When this occurs, their VPA (Virtual Payment Address) changes. Previously, their mandate would not follow, and they would need to cancel and create a new one. With interoperability, NPCI notifies Razorpay of the port event, and Razorpay updates the mandate record with the new VPA and UMN automatically. You do not need to handle payer port events in your integration. Debit executions will continue to succeed without any change from you.
Google Pay and PhonePe are not yet in the NPCI-certified interoperability list at launch. They are expected to join as NPCI expands coverage. Razorpay will migrate mandates on these PSPs automatically once they are certified. This does not require any action from you.
Irrevocable mandates (MCC 7322, for loan repayments and EMI) continue to operate under existing NPCI rules (OC-125A). The irrevocable flag is preserved through migration. Your customers still cannot pause or revoke these mandates from their UPI App. This rule is unchanged by interoperability.
Not yet. The current rollout focuses on ensuring mandates remain functional when customers switch their UPI app, and making new mandates platform-neutral from creation. Multi-processor routing, where Razorpay can execute debits across multiple processors to optimise your success rate, is planned for a later stage. We will announce it separately when available.