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What are @valid UPI handles? How do they help investors?

PostedNovember 24, 2025
UpdatedNovember 25, 2025
Bythanushaa

SEBI has introduced new guidelines for UPI handles used by intermediaries for receiving payments from investors.

The new format includes:

  • The entity name
  • A category tag (example: .brk for brokers, .mf for mutual fund)
  • A verified suffix ‘@valid’
  • The QR code will have the Verified batch 

Flattrade has fully implemented the SEBI-mandated verified UPI format and now supports three official UPI handles for client payments. They are,

  1. flattrade.brk@valididfc
  2. flattrade.brk@validhdfc
  3. flattrade.1.brk@validhdfc

These measures were introduced by SEBI to:

  • Reduce fraud in the securities market, where fake intermediaries / fake UPI handles were used to divert investor funds.
  • Give proper and standardized UPI handles to help investors differentiate the valid handles from the fraudulent ones.
  • Add a verification layer, where clients can use SEBI Check, a government website, to verify the new UPI handles.

Example Image:

NOTE:  Investors should verify the UPI ID before transferring funds: look for the “@valid” handle, check the category suffix, look for the thumbs-up icon, and optionally check via SEBI Check.

Click here to see how to use SEBI Check