What is UPI123Pay & How To Use UPI123Pay for Payment?

Information on what is UPI123Pay App, How to use UPI123Pay, Download UPI123Pay App and How To Make payments on feature phone without Internet using UPI123Pay App.

RBI launches the first-of-its-kind digital payment app for feature phones. The app will enable non-smartphone users to avail the digital payment facility seamlessly leveraging four innovation-driven technologies – IVR, feature app, proximity sound-based transactions, and transact via missed call. On 8th March 2022, the Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India formally announced the application to the public.

The app is named UPI123PAY which signifies the 4 modes of digital payments that a feature phone user will have to make a UPI-based payment. What are these modes, how UPI123PAY app works, and from where it can be downloaded – this blog covers a series of frequently asked questions, aiming to help users with the right information.

What is UPI123Pay New UPI Launched by RBI?

UPI123Pay is a digital payment app that is exclusively developed for the users of feature phones. The app does not require any smartphone functionalities or even the internet to operate. Anyone having a feature phone with basic call and messaging capabilities can use this app to make digital payments through their phones. This will eliminate the challenges of the current USSD Based *99# dialing in feature phones which used to cause problems and confusion among the users while making offline payments.

How to make payment using UPI123Pay?

There are four different ways to use the UPI123Pay app, they are:

1.Using IVR Dialling – Making payments by pressing relevant options from the dial pad

We all have used the IVR system to interact with a customer care representative wherein an automated voice response asks us to press 1, 2, and so on to get a specific task done. The IVR mode in the UPI123Pay app will work the same way. To use this mode, the user has to dial 08045163666 from his phone. This will direct the user to his linked bank account. As a first-time user, you will be asked to create a UPI pin which involves a series of steps:

1. Dial 08045163666
2. Select Language
3. Connect Bank
4. Authenticate bank details
5. Confirm to connect to the UPI system
6. Create a UPI Pin

After generating the UPI Pin for UPI123PAY app, the user will get options to take the next action. They are:

Fund transfer
Check balance
Deregister bank account
Deregister UPI
Change UPI PIN
Make EMI payments
Make utility payments
……and more.

2. UPI123Pay Missed Call Method – Pay via Missed Call

In this method, the user can make payments to a dedicated UPI123PAY by giving a missed call on a number linked to the user’s app. However, simply giving a missed call won’t make the transaction. The user will get a call back for confirmation after which the payment will be made. This mode works best for merchants wherein they can receive digital payments from UPI123PAY app users instantly.

3. Sound-based Payment UPI123Pay

Similar to the missed call mode, this method will initiate digital payments based on certain sounds or tones of specific frequency. Merchants will have dedicated devices at their places to generate such sounds. Keeping the phone closer to the device will help the app to identify the merchant, enabling the user to make the payment without contact.

4. App-based functionality

In this mode, an app would be installed on the feature phone to enable the user to avail several UPI functions that used to be limited to only smartphones. The user will use this app to make digital payments to friends and family.

Frequently Asked Question