Finance

UPI Market Share in July 2025: PhonePe Leads the Digital Payments Race


India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) ecosystem continues to grow rapidly, and July 2025 data shows a clear winner emerging in the digital payments race.

According to the latest numbers, PhonePe has secured a commanding 46.7% share of the UPI transaction volume, reaffirming its position as India’s leading payments app. Google Pay remains a strong contender at 36.2%, while Paytm trails at 7.1%. The remaining 10% is split among smaller players in the ecosystem, including banks’ own UPI apps and emerging fintech platforms.

📌 Key Highlights:

  • PhonePe leads the market with seamless integration and broad merchant support.
  • Google Pay remains a preferred choice for many due to its clean interface and strong brand trust.
  • Paytm continues to hold relevance but faces stiff competition from the top two players.
  • The “Others” category—at 10%—includes apps like Amazon Pay, BHIM, CRED, and banking apps.

India’s digital payment space is increasingly consolidated, with PhonePe and Google Pay collectively holding over 80% of the market. This duopoly reflects consumer preferences for reliability, cashback incentives, and a smooth user experience.

As UPI adoption deepens across tier-2 and tier-3 cities, players that innovate on ease of use and ecosystem integration will continue to thrive.

Business

UPI Alert: P2P ‘Collect Request’ Feature to Be Discontinued from October 1, 2025


If you frequently use apps like PhonePe, Google Pay, or Paytm for sending or receiving money, there’s a major update you need to be aware of.

In a circular dated July 29, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced that the P2P “Collect Request” feature on UPI platforms will be discontinued from October 1, 2025.

What Is the P2P Collect Request Feature?

This feature allows UPI users to send a payment request to another user, often used to remind friends or family to share bills or pending payments. However, it has become a significant vector for scams and phishing attempts.

Fraudsters commonly use this to trick users into accepting fake requests under the pretense of emergencies or professional roles, leading to unauthorized debits from the victim’s account.

Why Is It Being Removed?

Despite a ₹2,000 limit per transaction, fraud cases have continued. NPCI has decided to remove the feature entirely for P2P payments to improve user safety.

From October 1, 2025, you’ll only be able to send money via:

✅ QR code scanning
✅ Selecting the contact number manually
✅ Entering the UPI PIN for authorization

Will Merchant Transactions Be Affected?

No. UPI collect requests from verified merchants like Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, and IRCTC will remain unaffected.
Users will still have to approve the request and enter their UPI PIN to complete the transaction, maintaining security protocols.

Key Takeaways for Users:

  • ❌ P2P UPI collect requests will stop from October 1, 2025
  • ✅ Continue using QR codes and contact-based UPI transfers
  • 🔒 The move aims to significantly reduce fraud risks
  • 🛍️ Merchant transactions will still function normally
Business

UPI Transactions to Become Faster from June 16, 2025


New Delhi, June 16, 2025 – The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced significant improvements to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system, aiming to enhance transaction speeds and user experience. Effective today, UPI transactions will witness a substantial reduction in response times, benefiting users and payment service providers alike.

⏱️ Reduced Response Times

In a move to streamline the payment process, NPCI has decreased the response time for various UPI transaction stages:

  • Request and Response Transactions: The time has been reduced from 30 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Valid Address Transactions: The time has been cut from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.

These changes are expected to make UPI transactions faster and more efficient, enhancing the overall user experience.

📱 Impact on Payment Service Providers

Major payment platforms such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm are set to benefit from these improvements. With reduced response times, these platforms can process transactions more swiftly, leading to quicker payment confirmations and enhanced user satisfaction.

🔐 Enhanced User Experience

To further improve the user experience, NPCI has introduced the following measures:

  • Increased Balance Check Attempts: Users can now check their account balance up to 50 times per day.
  • Account-Related Searches: Users can perform up to 25 account-related searches daily.
  • Mandate Attempts: Each mandate will have one attempt, with three additional retries allowed in case of failure.

These enhancements aim to provide users with more flexibility and convenience when using UPI services.

📆 Looking Ahead

As UPI continues to evolve, NPCI remains committed to improving the digital payment ecosystem in India. The recent changes are part of ongoing efforts to ensure that UPI remains a reliable, secure, and user-friendly platform for all users

TechPulse

Digital Payment Woes: Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm Users Face Transaction Issues


A technical glitch hit major digital payment platforms, leaving users of Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm struggling to complete transactions. The disruption caused widespread inconvenience, affecting a large number of users who rely on these platforms for everyday transactions.

The Issue
Users reported encountering errors and failed transactions while attempting to make payments through these popular digital payment apps. The issue seemed to be related to the integration of payment gateways and banking systems, but the exact cause was not immediately clear.

Impact on Users
The disruption had a significant impact on users, causing frustration and delays. Many users reported:

  • Failed transactions: Payments were not processed, leaving users uncertain about the status of their transactions.
  • Payment timeouts: Transactions timed out, requiring users to retry and causing further delays.
  • Inability to initiate transactions: Some users were unable to initiate transactions altogether, making it impossible to make payments.

Affected Services
The disruption affected several popular digital payment apps, including:

  • Google Pay: Users reported issues with transaction processing and payment confirmations.
  • PhonePe: Users faced difficulties with payment initiation and transaction failures.
  • Paytm: Users encountered errors and failed transactions, causing inconvenience and delays.

Response from Companies
The affected companies acknowledged the issue and assured users that they were working to resolve it as quickly as possible. Users were advised to check the official social media handles and support pages of the respective payment apps for updates on the status of the disruption.

Precautions for Users
In the meantime, users can consider alternative payment methods, such as:

  • Cash transactions: Using cash for transactions can help avoid digital payment issues.
  • Card payments: Card payments can provide a reliable alternative for users.
  • Other digital payment platforms: Users can explore other digital payment platforms that are not affected by the disruption.

The digital payment disruption highlights the importance of having robust and reliable systems in place. As the issue is being addressed, users are advised to stay informed and plan accordingly to minimize any inconvenience. The companies involved are working to resolve the issue and restore normalcy to their services.