EPFO 3.0 plans to introduce instant PF withdrawals through UPI

Accessing money from the Provident Fund has always been a slow process, especially for salaried employees. With online scams rising, the approval for withdrawing money from PF takes several days. Nevertheless, this may change in the coming years as the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation is working toward a new system. This new tool will allow users to withdraw their PF funds via their UPI. The EPFO is expected to launch this new feature with a new mobile app by April 2026.

EPFO’s New Mobile App and Digital Upgrade

The instant withdrawal feature will be a part of EPFO’s larger digital transformation. It is referred as EPFO 3.0. The main objective of this EPFO 3.0 is to make the PF service faster and simpler. In addition, the process is also coming to make everything fully digital.

Just like banking apps allow quick money transfers, the new EPFO app aims to give members easy access to their eligible PF balance directly from their phones.

How UPI-Based PF Withdrawals May Work

Within the suggested system, the members can withdraw eligible PF funds directly to a linked bank account with the help of a UPI PIN. This implies that there might be no necessity to make a conventional online claim and wait until it is approved manually. The app will help in demonstrating the required amount of money that can be withdrawn.

According to initial reports, individual UPI payments would be capped at approximately Rs 25000. To protect retirement savings, a portion of the PF balance may remain locked. Around 25 percent of the total balance is expected to stay reserved for long-term use.

Testing and Safety Measures

The new EPFO 3.0 is being tested on a small number of dummy accounts before the organization fully rolls out the new system. This is an experimental stage that aims at detecting technical failures and providing secure payments. The final version of the app is expected to work alongside existing UPI platforms while following strict safety checks.

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Why This is Essential for PF Members

The biggest benefit of UPI-based withdrawals is speed. Currently, even fast claims can take up to three days. With UPI, eligible funds could reach bank accounts almost instantly. The second benefit is convenience, as the entire process would be paperless and app-based.