Biometric authentication set to play bigger role in UPI payments as adoption crosses 600 million transactions: NPCI
New Delhi, July 8
Biometric authentication is expected to play a bigger role in India's digital payments ecosystem as more banks and UPI apps enable the feature, with biometric-based UPI transactions crossing 600 million in June, according to the National Payments Corporation of India.
NPCI said on-device biometric authentication, which allows users to authorise payments using a smartphone's fingerprint or facial recognition. The feature supports both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions, and is also available for RuPay Credit Card on UPI, allowing users to make PIN-free credit payments.
The association recorded over 611 million transactions in June 2026, with a total transaction value of Rs. 25,416 crores across various everyday payment use cases.
"The growing adoption of biometric authentication reflects the increasing preference among UPI users for payment experiences that are simple and efficient. With over 600 million transactions in June, the solution is seeing strong acceptance across use cases, including RuPay Credit Card on UPI," said Sohini Rajola, Executive Director - Growth, NPCI.
She added that several banks and UPI applications already offer biometric authentication to customers and expressed confidence that adoption would continue to grow as more users opt for the secure and convenient payment method.
NPCI said biometric authentication reduces dependence on UPI PINs by enabling payments through on-device fingerprint or facial recognition, helping improve transaction speed and success rates while making digital payments more seamless.
The corporation expects wider ecosystem adoption as more banks and payment applications roll out the feature to customers. For consumers, this could mean quicker and more convenient payment experiences without repeatedly entering UPI PINs, while businesses may benefit from faster checkout experiences and smoother digital transactions.
NPCI said the growing adoption of biometric authentication, including for RuPay Credit Card on UPI, is expected to further strengthen UPI's position as India's preferred digital payment platform by offering a secure, frictionless and more accessible payment experience across everyday transactions.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the convenience, but I'm a bit concerned about privacy. What if someone forces me to unlock my phone with my fingerprint? At least with a PIN, I have a chance to refuse. Security should be the top priority, not just speed. Just my two paise on this matter.
Brilliant move by NPCI! 600 million transactions is no small feat. India is truly leading the world in digital payments. Now if only this technology could be extended to debit/credit cards for contactless payments without OTPs, that would be perfect. DigiDhan revolution continues! 🇮🇳
As someone who uses UPI daily for chai and auto fares, this is welcome news. But I hope banks also provide a proper backup method for people whose fingerprint sensors don't work due to manual labor or sweaty hands in Indian summers. Not everyone has clean, dry fingers all the time! 😅
This is going to boost small merchants a lot! I've seen many shopkeepers in my area struggling with entering PINs on their basic phones. Biometric authentication on their own phones would make the process much smoother and faster. My local kirana store owner will be very happy! 🙏
Good move for the tech-savvy generation but what about tier 3 cities and villages where smartphones are still a luxury? We need parallel options that work on feature phones too. Digital divide is still real in Bharat, and we must ensure no one is left behind in this payment revolution.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.