Top News

Unified Payments Interface (popularly known as UPI) services have been the most popular way of making payments in the current times. Also, we face situation where apps like GPay, Paytm, PhonePe and more temporarily faces outages, because of which the users are barred from making payments. In the troublesome issue and situations like this, we bring to you some smart ways to complete your payment and transactions.

What to do if UPI does not work on your smartphone?

When we are making digital payments, there are several ways to complete our online transactions. You can use alternatives that are swift and smart, such as:

1. Try another UPI app: If one app fails, try an alternate app. We have popular UPI apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm and more to choose from. Often, the issue affects only one platform temporarily.

2. Use QR code from the bank app: Open your bank’s official app (like SBI YONO, HDFC Mobile Banking, and more) and scan the QR code directly. Most banking apps also support UPI payments.

3. Use of Debit/Credit Card: If UPI is not working, then you may use your debit or credit card for online or POS machine payments.

4. Use net banking: Log in to your internet banking portal and complete the transaction using net banking services.

5. Keep some cash handy: During such outages, keeping a small amount of cash for emergencies is always a smart idea.

UPI usage at record highs

In March 2025, India processed over 18.3 billion UPI transactions worth Rs 24.77 lakh crore. PhonePe handled nearly 50 per cent of all UPI traffic, which was further followed by Google Pay and Paytm.

So, in case your transaction fails, do not try multiple attempts immediately. Wait a few minutes before retrying or switch to another payment mode to avoid double debits.

Even though UPI is convenient, being prepared with alternative payment options ensures you never get stuck at checkout.