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Consolidated progress chart of all payment instruments

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Payments instruments in India

Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS)

Note: The total includes Onus and Offus transactions, excluding uncategorized transactions.

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Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

RBI introduced enhanced security measures for AePS to combat fraud

    • In February 2024, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced plans to bolster security measures for the Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) to address rising risks of fraud. The new...
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  • AePS transactions declined amid increased security checks and fraud prevention measures

    • AePS transactions saw an 8% decline in value, which amounted to INR 230.5 billion (USD 2.77 billion) in January 2024. The volume of transactions decreased from 95 million to...
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  • NPCI revised AePS transaction limits to INR 50,000 (~USD 600) per month

  • Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPIs)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced an interchange charge for PPI wallets on UPI

    • In April 2023, the NPCI introduced an interchange charge of 1.1% for merchant transactions. This applies to merchant transactions through prepaid payment instruments (PPI) wallets on Unified Payments Interface (UPI)...
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  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced stricter rules for prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) on UPI platforms

    • The RBI has implemented strict regulations that govern the use of PPIs on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms. A recent circular issued by the National Payments Corporation of India...
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  • The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) regulations on non-compliance and penalties disrupted the “buy now pay later” (BNPL) market

    • Digital wallets and prepaid card operators have proliferated recently. Many offer BNPL services, which provide short-term credit lines or preset borrowing limits to allow customers to access credit up...
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  • Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

    Note : P2P and P2M bifurcation unavailable till March '20. We can assume
    that majority of the total transactions were P2P in nature.

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    UPI transactions’ value reached a record high of INR 18.41 trillion (USD 221 billion) in January 2024

    • In January 2024, the value of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) transactions reached a record high of INR 18.41 trillion (USD 221 billion). This marked consecutive months of transaction values that...
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  • India and UAE signed an agreement to interlink UPI and Aani for seamless cross-border transactions

  • NPCI to review its decision to cap the UPI market share for third-party platforms by year-end 2024

  • Credit card

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    Credit card defaults in India rose to INR 4,072 crore (USD 490 million) in FY23

  • RuPay credit card spending surged in December 2023

  • - HDFC Bank becomes the first bank in India to have 20 million credit cards in force

  • Debit card

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) mandated choice between multiple card networks for customers

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expanded the scope of Card on File Tokenization (CoFT) to banks, which issue debit cards

    • The RBI expanded the scope of CoFT to enhance digital payment security. Previously, merchants offered tokenization exclusively, but the RBI announced plans to enable CoFT through card-issuing banks and...
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  • The Goods and Service Tax (GST) portal introduced debit and credit cards as payment options

    • The latest update of the GST portal introduced a new function, which allows GST payers to pay with debit or credit cards through the Kotak Mahindra...
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  • Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    NPCI introduced a simplified IMPS rule for transactions up to INR 500,000 (USD 6,000) through mobile number and bank name

    • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has simplified the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) process. Now, users can send up to INR 500,000 (USD 6,000) without the need to add...
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  • NPCI introduced the UDIR system to streamline complaint handling for IMPS

    • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) introduced the Unified Dispute and Issue Resolution (UDIR) system to streamline complaint handling for Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) transactions. This system serves as a bridge...
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  • Credit card users can now use the IMPS-P2A feature to repay their credit card bills

    • As of March 2023, users can use Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) for peer-to-peer (P2P) or peer-to-merchant (P2M) payments. They can also use the IMPS-P2A (peer-to-account) feature for repayments against...
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  • Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    The RBI expanded BBPS’s scope to include nonbank payment aggregators

  • The RBI introduced revised BBPS guidelines to enhance customer protection

  • The RBI introduced revised BBPS guidelines to enhance customer protection

  • Cheque Truncation System (CTS)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    The rise in the value of CTS transactions indicates that people primarily use cheques for high-value payments, such as settlements and large purchases

    • The value of Cheque Truncation System (CTS) transactions in India saw a significant rise in 2023. They reached approximately INR 5.84 trillion (USD 70 billion) in October 2023 from INR...
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  • PNB mandated the PPS for cheques valued more than INR 500,000 (USD 6,014)

    • Punjab National Bank (PNB) took a significant step to enhance the security of cheque payments. It mandated the Positive Pay System (PPS) for cheques valued at INR 500,000 (USD...
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  • The Minister of State for Finance highlighted CTS’s role in the digitization of the paper cheque system

  • BHIM Aadhaar Pay (BAP)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    NPCI issues new guidelines for merchant acquisition on BHIM Aadhaar Pay

  • Challenges in the AePS may affect BAP’s adoption

    • The Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) is the underlying system for BHIM Aadhaar Pay (BAP). It faces several challenges that can impact BAP’s adoption. AePS has encountered a high transaction failure rate...
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  • BAP faces competition from other payment instruments

    • Cash and United Payments Interface (UPI)-based offline transactions through QR codes, such as UPI Tap & Pay, continue to give stiff competition to BHIM Aadhaar Pay (BAP). Customers prefer...
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  • Cash

    You can click on any of the elements in the legend above to show or hide the corresponding instrument

    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    - Banks to replace 40,000 aging ATMs and add 10,000 new ones in the next 12-18 months

    • As per industry estimates, banks in India are expected to undergo a significant ATM refresh and expansion cycle over the next 12-18 months. This involves the replacement of approximately 40,000...
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  • India’s banking system liquidity deficit hit a record high of INR 3.34 trillion in January 2024

    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tightened banking liquidity in mid-2023 to combat inflation. This came after banks had excess cash due to the withdrawal of INR 2,000 (USD...
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  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to phase out incremental cash reserve ratio (ICRR) gradually

    • The RBI decided to phase out the ICRR gradually. The ICRR is a temporary rule by the RBI, which mandates banks to set aside a percentage...
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  • National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    NEFT processes recorded 4.1 crore transactions in a single day on 29th February 2024

  • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced changes in the NEFT system to report FCRA donations

    • The RBI implemented necessary changes in the National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT system for Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)-related transactions. This came after the Home Ministry’s directive that mandated...
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  • - Microfinance institutions (MFIs) and banks drive massive volumes

    • Almost all MFIs in India now use cashless modes to disburse loans to their customers. As per a KPMG report, 88% of loan disbursements in MFIs...
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  • *99# (USSD-based mobile banking service)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    Unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) sees a significant drop in transaction value and volume

    • The transaction volume for USSD in Q1 2024 showed a quarter-on-quarter(QoQ) drop of 22.7%. The QoQ transaction value decreased by 40% for the same quarter. Despite a gradual rise across the first two...
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  • The low profit margin for different stakeholders leads to further disinterest

    • The USSD service incurs costs, such as short message service (SMS) and payment service provider (PSP) fees. Telecom operators bear these costs currently. However, they are reluctant to provide...
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  • Hello! UPI can replace unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) as a feature phone-friendly payment system

    • The core pillar of Hello! UPI is based on the interactive voice response (IVR) model. This payment mode will not require any tech-heavy interaction from the users. It can...
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  • National Automated Clearing House (NACH)

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    e-NACH remains the most chosen method to repay digital loans

  • NPCI implemented a fixed duration of 30 years for which NACH mandates can be issued

    • The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued a circular that determined the maximum duration for which to issue National Automated Clearing House (NACH) mandates. The duration is set...
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  • The Ministry of Rural Development extended the mixed route approach of NACH and APBS for MGNREGA wage payments till December...

    • The Ministry of Rural Development announced that wage payments for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’s (MGNREGA) beneficiaries would continue to be disbursed through the...
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  • e-RUPI - Prepaid e-voucher

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    Quarterly trends for the selected payment instrument

    Banks offer incentives to boost the RBI’s e-RUPI transactions

    • Indian banks have been introducing various incentives to increase the volume of transactions through e-RUPI. These incentives are similar to those offered for credit and debit card usage. They range...
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  • The RBI piloted e-RUPI for interbank borrowing with a focus on wholesale CBDC use cases

    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) initiated a pilot to test e-RUPI in interbank borrowing. It involved nine banks that are part of the government securities pilot. This step...
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  • The RBI expanded e-RUPI voucher issuance to individuals for wider accessibility

    • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its intent to allow e-RUPI voucher issuance on behalf of individuals. The RBI highlighted the need to simplify the...
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  • Compare the progress of different payments instruments

    • AePS

    • PPIs

    • UPI

    • Credit Card Image

      Credit Card

    • Debit Card

    • IMPS

    • BBPS

    • CTS

    • BAP

    • Cash

    • NEFT

    • *99#

    • NACH

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    You can click on any of the elements in the legend above to show or hide the corresponding instrument

    Drag an instrument’s icon from the carousel above and drop it into any of the three boxes to compare them

    Use the checkboxes to select and compare up to three instruments

    You can click on any of the elements in the legend above to show or hide the corresponding instrument

    Drag an instrument’s icon from the carousel above and drop it into any of the three boxes to compare them

    Use the checkboxes to select and compare up to three instruments

    You can click on any of the elements in the legend above to show or hide the corresponding instrument

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