Skip to content
UPI QR Code
News

UPI Tap & Pay and MyUPI: What NPCI Announced and What Is Still Unclear

5 min read
Share:
UPI Tap & Pay and MyUPI: What NPCI Announced and What Is Still Unclear

On 10 September 2026, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra launched two new UPI features at Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai. UPI Tap & Pay lets you pay by unlocking an NFC phone and tapping it on an NFC card machine. MyUPI is NPCI's new AI-powered help and safety layer for UPI users. Neither one changes how a printed UPI QR code works today, and several practical details have not been announced yet.

Based on NPCI's announcement of 10 September 2026; last checked 13 October 2026.

1. What is UPI Tap & Pay?

NPCI describes it as a way to make faster payments by "unlocking" an NFC-enabled smartphone and tapping it on an NFC-enabled point-of-sale (POS) terminal. POS terminals are the card machines you see at larger shops and chains.

Three details NPCI gave:

  • No mobile data needed. The transaction can be completed using the POS machine's internet connection, not your phone's.
  • Several account types. It works across multiple account types on UPI, including a RuPay Credit Card on UPI.
  • PIN-less up to ₹5,000. Above ₹5,000, you enter your UPI PIN on the POS terminal.

NPCI also said combined biometric-authenticated UPI transactions have passed 6.29 billion as of 31 August 2026, and called Tap & Pay "the next step in this evolution". Biometric authentication was launched at Global Fintech Fest 2025.

2. What is MyUPI (UPI Help 2.0)?

NPCI says MyUPI is an AI-powered platform built on its own Small Language Model, called FiMI. It gives users one view of their UPI transactions and AutoPay mandates across banks and UPI apps. The features NPCI listed are:

  • Safety Switch: lets you request that UPI debit transactions be declined if you suspect your account is compromised.
  • UPI Number Delink: lets you delink your mobile number so you stop receiving UPI payments on it.
  • Payee context-based information: shows more information about a beneficiary before you pay.
  • Automated chargeback processing: creates a chargeback in real time for eligible transactions, which NPCI says will cut the time to resolve complaints.
  • Transaction Replay: lets you recall and repeat past transactions using any UPI app.

NPCI also promises 24x7 multilingual support.

3. What is live today

For MyUPI, there is a clear answer for one app. On 22 September, NPCI BHIM Services Limited announced MyUPI in the BHIM Payments app. Press reports say it sits under "Quick Actions" and currently supports English, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Bengali. Reports on the BHIM version add that Transaction Replay needs a fresh UPI PIN, and that a "Pay Safe" check lets you enter a UPI ID or upload a QR code to see the payee's name before paying.

For Tap & Pay, the picture is thinner. NPCI says it has "launched" the feature. The coverage we read names no banks, no UPI apps, no terminal makers and no go-live dates. We found no later report listing where it works. Treat it as announced, not as something you can count on at your nearest shop.

4. At a glance

FeatureWhat it doesWho it is forAvailability
UPI Tap & PayTap an unlocked NFC phone on an NFC POS terminal; PIN-less up to ₹5,000Customers paying at POS terminalsAnnounced as launched; apps, banks and terminals not named
Safety SwitchRequest that UPI debits be declined after a suspected compromiseAny UPI userIn BHIM's MyUPI; other apps not announced
UPI Number DelinkDelink your mobile number from receiving UPI paymentsAny UPI userIn BHIM's MyUPI; other apps not announced
Transaction ReplayRepeat a past transaction using any UPI appCustomers who pay the same person or shop oftenIn BHIM's MyUPI; other apps not announced
Automated chargebacksReal-time chargeback creation for eligible transactionsCustomers with a complaint; banksNo date given

5. What this means at a shop counter

Tap & Pay is built around a POS terminal that supports NFC. NPCI's press release does not say what a shopkeeper must do to accept it, whether existing machines will work, or whether it costs anything. Your bank or terminal provider is the one to ask.

A printed QR code is a different tool. It needs no terminal, and customers keep scanning it as they do today. Nothing in NPCI's announcement says tap payments replace QR codes, or that QR codes stop working. If you already have a QR, see our guide on creating a UPI QR code for your business.

One MyUPI detail does touch QR payments. In BHIM, the Pay Safe check can read a QR code and show the payee's name before the customer pays. Our guide to spotting UPI scams covers the habits that still matter.

6. What the announcement does not say

  • Which banks and UPI apps support Tap & Pay, and from when.
  • Which POS terminals work, and whether a shopkeeper needs new hardware.
  • Any fee or charge for accepting tap payments.
  • Whether Safety Switch and the other MyUPI tools will come to apps other than BHIM.
  • Whether the "₹5,000 without a PIN" rule has any other limits, such as a daily cap. Our guide on UPI transaction limits explains the existing caps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need internet on my phone to use Tap & Pay?

According to NPCI, no. The transaction can use the POS machine's internet connection. It does need an NFC-enabled, unlocked phone and an NFC-enabled terminal.

Will I have to enter my UPI PIN?

According to NPCI, not up to ₹5,000. Above that amount, NPCI says you enter your UPI PIN on the POS terminal.

Can I use MyUPI in my usual UPI app?

NPCI says MyUPI gives a view across banks and UPI apps, but the only app we found it announced in is BHIM. Apps other than BHIM have not been named.

Does this mean QR codes are going away?

No source we read says so. A QR code needs no special terminal, which is why it suits small shops. Tap & Pay needs NFC on both the phone and the terminal.

Checklist for this month

  • Keep your printed QR in place. Nothing announced requires you to change it.
  • Ask your bank or terminal provider whether your POS machine supports UPI Tap & Pay, and whether any charge applies.
  • If you use BHIM, look for MyUPI under "Quick Actions" and read what the Safety Switch does before you need it.
  • Check that your QR shows your correct shop name and UPI ID.
  • Know the steps for a failed payment: see UPI payment failed: common errors and fixes.
  • Be careful with any message claiming to offer "Tap & Pay activation" for a fee or a link. NPCI's announcement mentions neither.

Sources

Whether customers tap or scan, a clear printed QR keeps your counter ready. Make one in seconds with our free UPI QR code generator.

U

Written by

UPI QR Admin

Visit author website →

Related Articles

← All articles