The UPI service has experienced outages three times in the past two weeks, causing significant inconvenience for millions of users. With the growing popularity of digital payments, the number of UPI users is consistently on the rise, leading to frequent server crashes. According to the latest data from NPCI, over 400,000 UPI transactions occur every minute, resulting in about 23 million transactions every hour across India. This heavy reliance on UPI can be seen in how many people have started to carry little to no cash in their wallets. Last Saturday, users faced frustrations due to issues with the UPI server. Many were unable to make payments at shopping malls and restaurants. For those without cash, there are still ways to carry out digital transactions even when UPI servers are down.
UPI Lite
NPCI introduced the UPI Lite service a few years back, allowing users to make payments without being online. This feature is particularly useful if you find yourself in an area with poor network coverage or no connectivity at all. UPI Lite functions like a digital wallet, enabling daily top-ups of up to Rs 4,000, though individual transactions are capped at Rs 500, an increase from the previous limit of Rs 200.
This service is available through UPI apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. You can make UPI payments without a network by simply scanning the receiver's QR code. Even if your internet is down or the server is experiencing issues, the payment will still go through. Once connectivity is restored, the transaction will be reflected in the receiver's account. NPCI designed this feature to especially help those in regions with unreliable internet access. Notably, you won’t need to enter your UPI PIN for these transactions.
Offline payments via NFC
You can also add your credit or debit card to various apps, including Google Pay, to facilitate offline payments through NFC (Near Field Communication) technology on your phone. To use this option, the receiver must have a PoS machine that supports NFC. This allows you to enjoy seamless digital payments without needing an internet connection. Once the device is back online, the payment will be automatically recorded in both the sender's and receiver's accounts.
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