The 5 Best UPI Apps to Send and Receive Money in India

The digitalization of wallets has largely replaced the need to carry around cash and events like the pandemic only proved how essential it is to have an online means of payment. In India, specifically, a growing number of the population have started sending and receiving payments through UPI.

The best part about using UPI is that you don’t need a lot of things to get started. Anyone with an active bank account and a working SIM can register for a UPI wallet and start making transactions. If you have been looking for a reliable way to make payments, our list showcasing the top UPI apps in India just might help you!

What Is UPI, and How Does It Work?

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched back in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and aimed to grant the masses an easy solution to making online payments. It works by transferring funds between bank accounts in real-time.

UPI being an open-source API has enabled several third parties like WhatsApp to implement payments in their own apps. Almost every merchant in India supports payments through UPI, regardless of which app the customer ends up using.

1. Google Pay

Previously known as Tez, Google Pay is one of, if not the most used UPI apps in India. Google Pay’s incredibly clean user interface is what attracts most users to try it out, and it makes sense for a payments app being used by such a diverse audience to be easy to use.

Incentives in the form of scratch cards can be availed after every few transactions that you make. You can find useful shortcuts including mobile recharge, electricity bill payment, or bank transfer the instant you launch the app. If all you need is a simple and efficient way to make UPI payments in India, you don’t have to look any further than Google Pay.

Download: Google Pay for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Paytm

Even before UPI was popularized, Paytm was the one app that started the revolutionary trend of contactless payments in India. Now that you can link your bank accounts and make regular UPI transactions with the app, Paytm is a strong contender on this list.

What the app does the best is providing an incredible number of features that simplify your day-to-day transactions. Do you frequently use public transit? Paytm has a one-tap recharge button that you can use before you start your commute. Do you have a DTH connection at home? Paytm can automate those payments for you as well.

From paying the house rent to renewing your car’s insurance, the app has a shortcut for it all. Apart from UPI transactions, you can discover things to buy using the Paytm Mall section in the app, or even sign up for a Paytm bank account which has its own sweet list of perks.

Download: Paytm for Android | iOS (Free)

3. PhonePe

PhonePe strikes a good balance between the clean user interface of Google Pay and the extensive features of Paytm. Once you link your bank account with PhonePe, you can start making transactions with friends, family, and merchants.

A few other areas where PhonePe shines the most are insurance renewal, purchasing certified gold, transferring funds to bank accounts, and investing in mutual funds.

Download: PhonePe for Android | iOS (Free)

4. BHIM

BHIM is an app that was developed by the NPCI itself to kickstart the use of UPI payments in the country. Although it has a sluggish user interface and doesn’t have most of the incentives that other UPI apps on this list provide, you can rely on it for contactless payments just as much.

The app also has a simplified list of essential bills that you can pay including mobile recharge, electricity bills, life insurance, and more.

Download: BHIM for Android | iOS (Free)

5. Amazon Pay

Amazon is the biggest e-commerce in India and services like Prime Video and Prime Music are also widely used in the subcontinent. Among the many ways you can save when shopping on Amazon, the Amazon Pay service was made available to the customers which further simplified the process of purchasing items online.

You can sign up for Amazon Pay within the Amazon shopping app itself. Although most people end up using it only when buying things through Amazon, it works just like any other UPI app and can be used for making payments above and beyond e-commerce needs.

Download: Amazon India for Android | iOS (Free)

Go Cashless With Digital Payments

Despite the many options you have when choosing a UPI app, all of them work quickly and are just as secure, so it all comes down to personal preferences and how much you weigh features over an easy-to-use interface. UPI payments have made it possible for a country as densely populated as India to go cashless and ensure people don’t have to worry about carrying the exact change around.

Irrespective of location, most merchants around the globe have started preferring digital payments to cash. Most smartphones and wearables are equipped with the necessary technologies to make contactless payments possible.