Important February 2025 Financial Changes: UPI ID Rules, Kotak 811 Fees, and IDFC FIRST Credit Card Updates

1. UPI Transaction ID Rules Change

  • Effective from: February 1, 2025
  • The NPCI has mandated that UPI transaction IDs can only contain alphanumeric characters. Special characters will no longer be allowed.
  • If your UPI app still generates transaction IDs with special characters, the system will reject the transaction.

2. Kotak 811 Savings Account Rule Changes

  • Effective from: February 1, 2025

Key updates:

  • Cash transaction fee at branches & cash deposit machines: ₹5 per ₹1,000 (min ₹50) after the first free transaction or ₹10,000 deposit/month.
  • Fee waivers: PIN re-generation via courier, cash/instrument pickup for senior citizens, balance statements.
  • ATM decline fees: ₹25, but only for non-Kotak ATMs.
  • Standing Instruction (SI) failure fee reduced from ₹200 to ₹100.
  • ATM transaction limits revised based on card type, with charges beyond limits.

3. IDFC FIRST Bank Credit Card Changes

  • Effective from: February 20, 2025
  • Statement date for IDFC FIRST Millennia, FIRST Wealth, and FIRST SWYP cards will now be the 20th of each month, with a payment due date 15 days later.
  • 1% fee (min ₹249) on education payments via third-party platforms like CRED, PayTM & MobiKwik. No fee for direct payments to schools/colleges via their website or POS machines.
  • Add-on cards issued on or after Feb 20 will have a joining & annual fee of ₹499 + taxes (cards issued before this remain free).
  • Card replacement fee: ₹199 + taxes.