What is UPI? Triggers like demonetization and COVID restrictions have influenced the country towards cashless transactions, primarily through UPI payment. In 2016, the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI) introduced Unified Payment Interface (UPI), as per the guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In this article we’ll provide you the list of best upi apps.
It has brought a revolution in mobile payment by using the device’s authorization and authentication for direct-pay or collect-pay transactions. Anyone can use the UPI application by downloading from the Google Play Store, iOS store, or any bank’s website.
The user needs to fill in the one-time information such as name, account number, IFSC code, mobile number, etc., and then link the app with the bank account.
Generally, there are two passwords for a UPI application, one is a general password to get into the app, and the other is used for the transaction. The latter is called M-pin or UPI-pin.
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Contents
The Versatility Of UPI Apps
Various UPI payment apps are currently competing in the market of e-commerce. Some of the popular ones are-
- Paytm
- GPay
- PhonePe
- Mobikwik
- BHIM-Making India Cashless
Let’s dive into each of them deeper one by one.
Paytm
It wears the crown for the ‘most downloaded UPI app’ on Android and iOS platforms. This application has attracted customers through several services such as mobile recharge, DTH payment, online food delivery, etc. One needs to verify KYC since it has a wallet.
Benefits
- Even small-scale shops accept Paytm
- Provides service of Buy Now Pay Later for ICICI Bank holders
- Fast payment
- Various cashback and reward offer
- Friendly user interface(UI)
- Supports 11 Indian languages
- UPI transfer daily limit is 1 Lakh
Google Pay (GPay)
GPay doesn’t have a wallet; therefore, a bank account with a registered mobile number is enough to activate the account. According to the research, youth predominately prefer GPay for 24*7 access to the account and balance inquiry.
Benefits
- KYC documents are not needed
- Supports 8 Indian languages
- Google Pay Safe shield and use of biometrics
- Chat feature
- Various cashback and reward offer
- Users can set reminders to make payments for utility bills
- UPI transfer daily limit is 1 Lakh
- It is one of the best upi apps
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PhonePe
Although Flipkart has now acquired PhonPe, the fact that it was India’s first-ever UPI payment platform deserves to be applauded. It partnered with YesBank to provide UPI services and now has integrated with Walmart India as another payment option.
Benefits
- Can link various e-wallets for easier transfer
- Various cashback and reward offer
- Gold can be purchased here
- UPI transfer daily limit is 1 Lakh
- Several merchant websites give great deals for using PhonePe wallets.
- Friendly user interface(UI)
- Supports 11 Indian languages
Mobikwik
We cannot ignore its popularity considering how apps like Zomato. Swiggy, IRCTC, Uber, Dominos use Mobikwik as their payment gateways and even provide discounts on using this method for payment.
Benefits
- Payback points from recharge and other utility bill payments are redeemed for future transactions
- In-App digital loans up to 1 lakh, health insurance, Mutual Funds are also available. It is one of the best upi apps
BHIM-Making India Cashless
Bharat Interface for money (BHIM) is another popular UPI app developed by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). As the name hints, its motive is to encourage cashless transactions.
Benefits
- The settling of the account is very simple in BHIM
- Also supports almost 170 Indian Banks
- No transaction charge till now
Which Are The Best UPI Apps?
Initially, people were only operating Paytm because of its smart advertisement and promotions techniques. But now, the users have widened their horizons and started using other alternatives.
During the pandemic, digital transactions have increased and will grow, which has led to severe competition among applications offering such services, especially- Paytm, PhonePe, and GPay. In 2021, PhonePe had the maximum number of UPI transactions than the other two. Paytm and PhonePe offer wallet services for easier prepaid payments; there is no such option in GPay yet.
All three platforms provide cashback and reward services, phone recharge, basic utilities such as electricity and water bill payments, traveling booking, and many more.
Unlike Google Pay, Paytm and PhonePe offer additional benefits of mutual funds or health insurance. Although GPay lacks the rest two services, it is a future possibility that these services will be provided soon. The user interface (UI) of GPay stands to be more organized and pleasant to look at. But it can be an individual choice as some may prefer PhonePe or Paytm over it.
Recently PhonePe has begun charging processing fees varying from 1Rs, or 2Rs on mobile recharges above 50Rs when are done by UPI. The other two competitors haven’t shown any significant sign to charge their users in any near future.
Conclusion
Each UPI app has its benefit, and also all are running against each other with a neck-to-neck competition. A user should also look for their preference and decide the best UPI app. Although in the market, PhonePe was thriving as per the recoded data in 2022, there is a probability that users may avoid using it further due to its charging plans. Google Pay and also Paytm have always remained like Gold(best upi apps) in the app store.
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Natasha Mascarenhas is a reporter at ExploTech covering early stage startups and venture capital trends. She also tracks the different networks that play into founder success, from loneliness to immigration. Before ExploTech, Natasha reported on the same beat for Crunchbase News.
