The Convenience of 'Set and Forget'
UPI AutoPay is a feature that allows you to pre-authorise recurring payments for everything from streaming subscriptions and mobile recharges to loan EMIs and mutual fund SIPs. You approve a mandate once with your UPI PIN, and the merchant can then debit
your account automatically at set intervals. This 'set and forget' system is designed to be seamless, ensuring you never miss a payment. The convenience is undeniable, but it's this very automation that can create financial blind spots. Once approved, these small, regular debits can easily slip from memory, especially for services that start with a free trial and then convert to a paid subscription.
How Small Leaks Sink Big Ships
A monthly fee of ₹149 for an OTT platform or ₹99 for a fitness app may seem insignificant on its own. However, when you have multiple such subscriptions running simultaneously, the costs accumulate. This phenomenon, often called 'subscription creep', is a silent drain on your savings. You might subscribe to a service for a single event, forget to cancel it, and end up paying for months without using it. Over a year, a few forgotten subscriptions can add up to thousands of rupees that could have been channelled towards savings, investments, or other financial goals. Because the amounts are often small and automatically deducted, they don't trigger the same spending awareness as a large, one-time purchase.
Your Guide to a Financial Health Check
The good news is that regaining control is straightforward. All major UPI apps provide a section to view and manage your active mandates. While the exact name may vary, you are typically looking for an option called 'AutoPay', 'Mandates', or 'Recurring Payments'. To perform a check, open the UPI app you use most frequently (like Google Pay, PhonePe, or Paytm). Navigate to your profile or settings section, and find the AutoPay or mandates menu. This will display a list of all the recurring payment instructions you have approved through that specific app, often showing details like the merchant name, the maximum debit amount, and the payment frequency.
Finding and Revoking Unwanted Mandates
Once you have the list of active mandates, review it carefully. Look for services you no longer use, subscriptions from free trials you forgot to cancel, or any mandate you simply don't recognise. If you find an unwanted payment instruction, you can cancel or revoke it directly from the app. Selecting a mandate will usually give you an option like 'Cancel AutoPay', 'Revoke Mandate' or 'Delete'. You will likely need to enter your UPI PIN to confirm the cancellation. It's important to note that this action stops future payments, but it does not refund past debits. Also, remember that cancelling the mandate in your UPI app does not always cancel the service itself; you may need to contact the merchant separately to close your account.
Making Vigilance a Regular Habit
Given the ease of setting up new subscriptions, checking your UPI mandates shouldn't be a one-time task. Make it a regular part of your financial routine, perhaps at the beginning of each month when you review your bank statements. This simple, five-minute check helps you stay on top of your recurring expenses, detect any unauthorised mandates early, and ensure your money is only going towards services you actively use and value. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) also provides a central portal where you can view mandates linked to your mobile number, offering another layer of oversight. By being proactive, you transform a potential financial drain into a well-managed aspect of your digital life.
