UPI Autopay is now an available payment method in India for subscription based business models for purchases on Google Play. Now, users may use any UPI-compatible app to pay for recurring payments automatically.
In India, Unified Payments Interface, often known as UPI, has become the most widely used mobile payment method for P2P and merchant transactions. In response to customer demand, Google is now stepping up with updated UPI features. Users in the South Asian nation may now purchase subscriptions through Google Play by using UPI.
What is UPI Autopay?
UPI AutoPay was introduced by the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) in July 2020. So, July 2020 is considered as the Google Pay launch date for UPI Autopay in India. Customers may use the capability to enable e-mandate for recurring payments such as cell phone bills, power bills, EMI payments, entertainment/OTT subscriptions, insurance, mutual funds, and more using any UPI application, UPI Autopay for users means.
Features:
- Timely payments to prevent late fines or penalties.
- Customized payment choices (such as monthly, quarterly, etc.) and quantities (ranging from Rs. 1 to Rs. 5000+) are available for every client. So, the UPI autopay limit is up to Rs. 5000/-.
- Additional options to modify, revoke, or pause orders are available.
- Convenient and safe method to make recurring payments
- Cashless method of payment
- No paperwork or documents are needed.
Google stated on Tuesday that UPI Autopay is now available as an UPI payment app method on the Play Store, enabling customers in the nation to buy subscriptions using UPI. The update was released a few months after Google introduced UPI as a payment option for Play Store purchases of applications, games, and in-app content in 2019. It extends its features to UPI autopay on GPay launch date,
“Today we’re pleased to extend this convenience to subscription-based purchases by introducing UPI Autopay on Google Play in India. NPCI launches UPI 2.0 which helps people make recurring payments using any UPI (Unified Payments Interface) application that supports the feature,” Head of Google Play Retail & Payments Activation – India, Vietnam, Australia & New Zealand, Saurabh Agarwal, said in a blog.
What’s the Government’s instruction:
Earlier, companies were prohibited from storing cardholder consent-required information because of the new RBI requirements. However, customers will be able to pay automatically for the renewed subscription of applications directly through the Google Play Store through various gateways, including Google Pay, Paytm, Amazon, and others, with the Autopay option with UPI.
To use UPI for recurring payments, users must choose the “Pay with UPI” option after choosing a subscription plan using Google Play Billing. With the option switched on, money will be automatically taken from the user’s bank account throughout each app payment cycle.
According to Google, adding the additional payment option won’t result in any other billing system changes. This indicates that it will continue to get commissions from domestic subscription-based sales made through the Play Store.
How to buy a subscription plan using the UPI payment option:
- Install the desired app from Google Play.
- After that, select the subscription plan to begin the checkout process.
- Notably, customers will be prompted to create a payment profile when purchasing any app using Google Pay for the first time.
- Selecting the UPI payment option will allow you to continue the payment procedure.
- To complete your transaction, click Submit.
UPI Autopay, a feature that enables users to make recurring payments with any UPI-based app, was significantly launched in UPI 2.0 by NPCI. Additionally, as the AutoPay option will automatically take the membership fee, it will also eliminate the danger of cancellation of subscription due to payment failure.
Along with the already accessible credit and debit card, net banking, direct carrier billing, and gift card choices, the UPI Autopay option is also available.
Facilities of UPI Autopay:
“With the introduction of UPI Autopay on the platform, we aim to extend the convenience of UPI to subscription-based purchases, helping many more people access helpful and delightful services – while enabling local developers to grow their subscription-based businesses on Google Play,” said Saurabh Agarwal, head of Google Play Retail & Payments Activation – India, Vietnam, Australia & New Zealand, in a prepared statement.
In order to expand UPI to recurrent transactions, the National Payment Corporation of India, the authority in charge of monitoring UPI, introduced the UPI Autopay service in 2020. However, when businesses in the nation UPI enabled app Autopay on their applications, such as Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar, it attracted little attention. This stemmed from a Reserve Bank of India payment regulation that demands extra authorisation for auto-recurring transactions totalling more than 5,000 Indian rupees ($62) from banks, financial institutions, and payment gateways.
Last month, India’s antitrust regulator penalised Google $113 million for abusing the dominance of its Play Store there and ruled that the corporation was not allowed to impose any restrictions on app developers’ use of outside payment processing systems for in-app purchases and Play Store transactions. Google therefore stopped enforcing its rule mandating developers to utilise the Play Store’s billing mechanism for customer transactions in the country.
In order to defy governmental pressure, the manufacturer of Android is also trying other payment methods for the Play Store in nations including South Korea, Australia, Japan, and most recently, the United States.
Additionally, Apple offered UPI as a payment option to the Indian App Store last year. However, the Cupertino corporation only accepts payments made using Apple ID in the nation and does not enable UPI Autopay for recurring purchases.
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