India taps to pay — Thanks to UPI

UPI has made everyday transactions seamless, instant, and cashless for millions of people in the country

By Ali Raiyan (with inputs from Vaikhari Menon and Disha Rungta)

Hyderabad: Cash? Card?… And UPI said, ‘No Thanks.’ Now even the guy selling idli and vada on bikes takes digital payments!

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Till some time back, one would dig through wallet and pocket to even pay for a tea. Now, from the tea to vegetables to a cigarette to even gold or silver, payments are just a click away.

That’s the way UPI has metamorphosed the entire gamut of transactions, making life easy for both consumer and the trader. This simple change happening millions of times daily across India is the magic of UPI.

For people across a wide spectrum of society, UPI cuts out countless small headaches. Paying electricity used to mean long queues. Now, it takes seconds in your phone app. Sending money to your parents in your hometown? It arrives before you can put your phone down, safely and cheaply.

For small businesses, your neighbourhood kirana store owner, the vegetable vendor, or the auto-rickshaw driver, UPI is a game-changer.

UPI has quietly woven itself into the fabric of everyday India. It takes away the friction of cash, saves time and worry, and gives small businesses a powerful, affordable tool.

From the busiest city market to the quietest village lane, UPI is making life flow smoother. It is not magic, it is UPI and it puts the power of easy payments right in your hands.

“The rapid adoption of UPI payments has changed my habits to the extent that I rarely carry cash anymore. However, this reliance on digital transactions can backfire, especially during travel when cash is unexpectedly required.” – Shaheen Ahmed

“UPI really had changed the way I use money. I don’t carry cash much now, and no tension even if I forget my purse at home, because my phone is enough. I use it for everything, like buying vegetables, shops, stalls or even sharing money with friends.” – Ajmera Nikitha

“UPI has completely disrupted the notion of currency, at least to me. While it may have made wallets somewhat redundant, the frequent outages may do still pose a hassle.” – Viswas Paul Johny

“In a jiffy, UPI makes sending money as easy as sending a message ah!!” – Vishal

“Paying with UPI is like sending a text ,type the amount, hit ,send and you are done before the samosa and chai gets cold. – Summair

“It changed the ways of transactions. With UPI your phone is your wallet.” – Prashik

“95% of payments are through online now. UPI is the easiest way to pay as it is less time consuming compared to cash payment. When we go to bank, we don’t have to wait in long queues to deposit cash in banks, as the amount is directly transferred to the accounts through UPI”. – Rangu Ramesh, Manager of Indian Oil Petroleum Pump, Banjara Hills

‘With UPI, now I don’t have to stand in long queues to deposit my money in bank. Even the fear of cash falling out of the pocket is gone now.” – Imran khan, streetside jackfruit vendor:

“My customers use both cash and UPI to pay. But I personally feel UPI is much smarter option as payment gets transferred easily.” – Md Sameer Ansari, textile shop