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New Delhi. If you also make payment through UPI everywhere from tea stall to mall, then this news is useful for you. For the last few days, a message has been spreading rapidly on the Internet and WhatsApp that in 2026, new charges will start being imposed on UPI transactions above ₹ 2000. This news has created a stir among common users. But will it really affect your pocket? Come, in this special report of ‘Amar Ujala’, let us know what are the real rules of 2026 and what you need to keep in mind. Big relief for common users: Bank-to-bank transfer is still absolutely free. First of all, know that if you send money to a friend, relative or shopkeeper through the UPI app (like Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm) linked to your bank account, then you will not have to pay any extra charge. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has made it clear that normal bank-to-bank transactions will remain completely free in 2026. The news of the charge spreading on social media is only for a specific type of transaction, called ‘wallet payment’. What is the ₹2000 rule? Who will have to pay? According to the 2026 rules, charges are applicable only on merchant transactions done through PPI (Prepaid Payment Instruments) i.e. digital wallets (like Paytm Wallet, Mobikwik). If you load money in your wallet and pay more than ₹ 2,000 to a big merchant, then there is an interchange fee of 0.5% to 1.1%. Important thing: This charge is not to be paid by the customer, but by the merchant to the company whose QR code he is using. Therefore, there is no need for customers to fear at all. Big change in UPI limit: Now you can make payment up to ₹ 10 lakh. To make UPI more powerful in 2026, NPCI has made a historic increase in the transaction limit. General payment: Its limit remains at ₹ 1 lakh per day. Special categories: Now you can pay up to ₹ 5 lakh at a time for education, health care, tax, and insurance. Verified Institutions: The daily limit has now been increased to ₹ 10 lakh in certain areas, so that even large business transactions can be done easily through UPI. 2-factor authentication and biometrics for security. Security rules are becoming more stringent from April 2026 to prevent digital fraud. Now UPI PIN alone will not be enough. Biometrics (fingerprint or face ID) may be required for large or ‘unusual’ transactions. Also, now you will be able to check balance only a maximum of 50 times a day. If balance is checked more often than this, the app may be locked for 24 hours. This step has been taken to reduce the burden on the banking servers. Your UPI ID may be closed? If you have not used any of your UPI ID for the last 1 year, then under the new rules of 2026, banks can deactivate it. This is a method of protection for those who change their mobile number but forget to deactivate the old UPI ID. Therefore, keep doing small transactions from time to time with your Active ID.