What is a UPI Mandate?
A UPI mandate, often called UPI AutoPay, is a pre-approved instruction you give your bank through a UPI app. It allows a merchant or service provider to automatically deduct a specific amount from your account at regular intervals without you needing
to approve each transaction individually. This is commonly used for things like OTT subscriptions, SIP investments, loan EMIs, and utility bill payments. You set it up once by authenticating with your UPI PIN, defining the amount, and choosing the frequency—be it weekly, monthly, or yearly. This creates a convenient, automated payment system.
Why You Should Regularly Review Mandates
While convenient, forgotten mandates can become a financial drain. You might be paying for services you no longer use or have forgotten you subscribed to. Regularly reviewing your active mandates is a crucial part of good financial hygiene. It helps you identify and cut unnecessary expenses, prevent unexpected deductions, and stay in full control of where your money is going. It also protects you from potential billing errors and ensures you are only paying for what you actively use and value. Think of it as a quick financial health check-up that can save you money and stress in the long run.
How to Cancel Mandates on Google Pay
Deactivating a mandate on Google Pay is straightforward. First, open the app and tap on your profile picture in the top-right corner. From there, select 'AutoPay'. You will see a list of all your mandates under the 'Live' tab. Tap on the specific mandate you wish to cancel. On the details screen, you'll find an option to 'Cancel AutoPay' or 'Cancel mandate'. Select it, and you will be prompted to enter your UPI PIN to confirm the cancellation. The app also offers a 'Pause AutoPay' option for some mandates, which allows you to temporarily stop payments without permanently cancelling the instruction.
How to Cancel Mandates on PhonePe
For PhonePe users, the process is just as simple. Open the PhonePe app and tap on your profile picture at the top-left of the screen. Navigate to the 'AutoPay' settings, which might be under 'Payment Management'. Here, you will see a list of all your active AutoPay mandates. Select the one you want to stop. In the mandate details, you should see an option to 'Revoke' or 'Remove AutoPay'. Tap this button and enter your UPI PIN when prompted to confirm the cancellation. A success message will confirm that the mandate has been deactivated.
How to Cancel Mandates on Paytm
To manage your mandates on Paytm, open the app and tap on your profile icon. Go to 'UPI & Payment Settings'. Inside this menu, find and select 'UPI Automatic Payments' or a similarly named option. This will display all your active mandates. Tap on the specific mandate you want to remove. You'll then see an option to 'Cancel Automatic Payment'. Select this, confirm your choice, and enter your UPI PIN to finalize the cancellation. The mandate will then be deactivated, stopping all future payments.
What Happens After Deactivation?
Cancelling a UPI mandate stops your bank from honouring future payment requests from that specific merchant under that mandate. However, this action alone does not cancel your underlying subscription or service agreement with the merchant. It's a critical two-step process: after revoking the payment instruction in your UPI app, you must also log in to the merchant's website or app and formally cancel your subscription there. Failing to do so might lead to the merchant considering your account as having an unpaid balance, which could disrupt your service or lead to future payment requests.
