Amazon Pay introduces ‘UPI Circle’; enables family payments via smartwatches and wearables
Amazon Pay has launched ‘UPI Circle,’ a new feature that allows users to add family members or trusted contacts for instant, secure UPI payments with spending limits. The company also announced smartwatch-based payments using biometric authentication and device encryption.
Hyderabad: Amazon Pay today announced major innovations at the Global Fintech Festival 2025, introducing ‘UPI Circle’ — a new feature that lets users enable family members and trusted contacts to make instant UPI payments without needing a separate bank account.
With UPI Circle, a primary account holder can securely add dependents or family members who receive individual UPI IDs or QR codes and make payments within preset limits. The system uses PIN-less, biometric-based authentication and allows the primary user to review payment requests, set limits, and track expenses in real time.
In collaboration with NPCI, Amazon Pay also unveiled UPI payments on smartwatches and other trusted wearables. These devices will support tap-and-go payments, biometric verification, and real-time fraud detection — further expanding India’s digital payment ecosystem beyond smartphones.
“UPI Circle marks a transformative step towards inclusive digital payments,” said Girish Krishnan, Director, Payments & Merchant Services, Amazon Pay India. “We’re solving for household payment convenience at scale while ensuring strong security through biometric authentication and device-level encryption.”
The UPI Circle supports one-time (full delegation) or every-time (partial delegation) payment approvals — suitable for family use cases like dependents, teens, or domestic staff. Members earn personalized rewards and cashback on transactions, with the feature designed for digitally savvy households and younger users without individual banking access.
The rollout aligns with NPCI’s mission to deepen digital payment adoption across India while offering families a unified and rewarding way to manage expenses securely.
