UPI on Feature Phones: Your ₹0 Data Bill Solution?

UPI 123Pay lets feature phone users send and receive money using simple calls or SMS — no smartphone, no internet needed. Around 20 crore Indians with basic phones can now access digital payments for the first time.

Here's what happened: PhonePe has launched UPI 123Pay, enabling feature phone users to send and receive UPI payments using SMS or IVR calls without any internet connection.. An estimated 20 crore Indians still use feature phones and have been largely excluded from the UPI ecosystem — this move aims to bring them into digital payments.. NPCI's UPI 123Pay framework was introduced in 2022 to support feature phone transactions; multiple providers including NPCI's own *99# service now operate on these rails..

What you should do: Share this with family members or domestic workers who use feature phones — they can now receive UPI transfers directly into their linked bank account without a smartphone.. Check whether your bank supports UPI 123Pay by calling your bank's customer care or visiting the NPCI website for the updated list of participating banks.. If you use a feature phone yourself, dial your bank's UPI 123Pay IVR number (available on the NPCI portal) to register and link your savings account today..

UPI 123Pay transactions are capped at ₹5,000 per transaction by NPCI — enough for most daily needs like groceries, milk, or sending money home, with no data charges ever.

For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.