Google Pay users can now make UPI payments using RuPay credit cards, here is how

Since the launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India has witnessed a rise in online transactions. As of March 2023, the jump in the monthly UPI transaction count reportedly touched 8.7 billion (around 87 lakh). However, most of these transactions were initiated through UPI IDs connected with debit cards. Now, in order to push the growth of digital payments in India, NPCI has collaborated with Google Pay to enable the integration of RuPay credit cards with UPI.

Following the latest development, UPI users can now link their RuPay credit cards with Google Pay to initiate payments across all online and offline merchants where RuPay credit cards are accepted. In the official statement, RuPay announced that the feature is now available to all RuPay credit card holders from Axis Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Punjab National Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Union Bank of India. The company further assured that more banks will follow the new initiative soon.

Commenting on the new rollout, Sharath Bulusu, Director of Product Management at Google, said, "Google Pay is a partner to India's financial ecosystem - enabling millions of users to safely and conveniently make digital payments every day. This latest announcement is a reflection of our commitment to contribute to the Government's vision to boost digital payments in India and play a significant role in the country's credit journey. This feature will give Google Pay users more flexibility and choice in making payments and will drive greater adoption of digital payments in the country."

If you also own a RuPay credit card and want to link it with your Google Pay UPI ID, here is a step-by-step process to do so:

How to activate RuPay credit card on Google Pay

• Open Google Pay on your Android phone or iPhone.
• Go to settings and tap the "RuPay credit card on UPI" option.
• Select the bank that has issued you the RuPay credit card.
• Set a unique UPI PIN by (a) entering the last six digits of the card number and expiry, (b) entering the OTP from your bank.
• Your UPI will be linked with the RuPay credit card for transactions.
• You can use the credit card during UPI payments by entering the set UPI PIN the same way you do UPI transactions.

Notably, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed linking of RuPay credit cards to the UPI platform in June 2022. This initiative was a step toward accessing the convenience of digital payments.

In other news, UPI payment gateways like Paytm and PhonePe have started the UPI Lite service to allow users to pay through UPI without entering a PIN offline. The initiative eliminates the hassle of entering a PIN or depending on the services of banks. As for Google Pay, the company is also expected to start the UPI Lite service soon.