Online transactions are set to become easier! Customers may soon be able to use their mobile number to make payments on the internet or over the phone, without having to use bank account details.
In a bid to simplify and provide a single interface across all systems for payment transactions, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Wednesday initiated the implementation of a Unified Payment Interface (UPI).
Nandan Nilekani, Former chairman, UIDAI said, “Need to make sure there is interoperability of all payments. Unified layer will allow application providers to use mobiles, provide integrated payments on new devices, connect all infra and allows people to innovate on top of that- in the coming this months, rolling this out and getting people to adopt it will be important.”
UPI will make it possible to make and receive payments with just a swipe of a button on the phone or a click on the web.
The user will not have to enter any bank account information or IFSC codes for the bank to make transactions. Instead, a single identifier- like the Aadhar number, mobile number or virtual payment address - can be used to make transactions.
NPCI, the umbrella organisation for all retail payment systems in India, hopes to launch a pilot soon.
AP Hota, MD and CEO, NPCI said, “Within 5 months we will come out with a pilot. Whole focus on simplifying payment, idea is to go for largely cashless system. Not changing infra or getting new payment system so we are creating a facility whereby payments products can be launched by banks using imps.
The new interface is likely to be a blessing for small-scale banks that don't have the necessary infrastructure to set up their own e-wallet or digital bank.
The unified payment interface will allow these banks to create an app for their customers using NPCI’s infrastructure to tap the ever-growing online customer base.
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