Industry Odisha Bureau, July 22: Your next UPI payment may not need the internet at all!
Making UPI payments without an internet connection may soon become a reality. A new feature currently under development and may be rolled out soon for users. The feature would allow users to pay merchants or other devices offline using near field communication (NFC), as per a report by Business Standard.
Reportedly, the feature will allow payments without mobile data or network connectivity. Users will first need to load money into their UPI Lite wallet while online. Post which, they will be able to use the stored balance to make offline payments without having to enter their UPI PIN. Transactions are expected to be capped at Rs 2,000.
The report further said that the National Payments corporation of India (NPCI) is likely to certify point-of-sale (PoS) device manufacturers this year. This will be in order to support the rollout of offline NFC-based UPI payments.
Notably, India already offers offline payment options such as *99# and UPI 123Pay. However, both still require a mobile network. The *99# service used USSD, while UPI 123Pay works through voice calls on feature phones.
The proposed NFC-based system would go one step further. It may allow users to complete payments without mobile data, a GSM signal or a phone line. As long as both devices support NFP, the payment can take place through short-range wireless communication.
The *99# service supports 83 banks and the world in 13 languages. It allows payments of up to Rs 5,000 per transaction. UPI 123Pay offers a voice guided payment system in 12 languages.
UPI payment without the internet could make digital transactions easier in places with poor connectivity, such as flights, underground tunnels and remote areas.
