HOW irritating can be to stop at toll tax areas, and pay the cash? With India promoting cashless economy, the Toll tax centers are also taking a major step towards making the whole process a cashless and in order to do so, GOI has introduced FASTag.
FASTag refers to an electronic toll tax collection system in India, where people will be able to pay toll tax online. It is operated by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). To make it simple, there are prepaid rechargeable tags for toll collection that allow automatic payment deduction fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle.
In order to reduce the traffic at the toll places, the GOVERNMENT OF INDIA made it mandated all the toll plazas, to make toll payments electronic, from 1st Dec 2019, and because of this, all the vehicles passing through toll plazas will have to pay toll tax online using FASTag. Lets find out how to pay toll tax online with the help of FASTag.
FASTag is a simple to use, reloadable tag which enables the automatic deduction of toll charges and allows the user to pass through the toll plaza without stopping for toll tax payment.
How FASTag works?
The FASTag uses a simple formula to work. It is linked to the user’s prepaid count from where the amount required for toll tax is deducted. It uses Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) technology which is affixed to the vehicle’s windscreen after the account is active. It is a solution for a hassle-free trip on the highways.
Benefits of FASTag
It has SMS alerts for transactions which allows the customer to receive SMS alerts on the user’s registered mobile numbers for all the transactions done in the tag account.
As FASTag are read by the tag reader at the plaza and the amount is deducted automatically, as soon as the car reaches the toll plaza. So, the vehicle doesn’t have to wait on the toll plaza to pay toll tax, saving both time as well as fuel of the user.
It allows the customer to recharge their FASTag account online via their credit card, debit card, NEFT, RTGS, UPI or net banking.
Due to FASTag, the drivers are now don’t have to carry around cash for toll tax payment.
To keep a track on the statements and transactions the users can check it by log-in to their FASTag customer portal.
Afterwards, the user has to maintain a security deposit of ₹200 for a car, jeep, van and a minimum balance of ₹100.
One can also link the account directly to their account or can keep the amount in their FASTag wallet.
The minimum recharge amount is ₹100.
How to purchase FASTag?
The user can buy the FASTag at Amazon and a few selected banks like SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis Bank etc. To buy FASTag, the user needs to submit KYC documents like Registration certificate of the vehicle, passport-size photograph KYC documents of the vehicle owner and ID proof(any of the following driving license, Aadhar card, passport, PAN or Voted ID).
After purchasing it, the user needs to activate it by entering details related to the user and the vehicle in my FASTag mobile app.
How to Activate FASTag?
To activated FASTag, you need to follow these steps:
First, you have to download the FASTag app on your mobile.
On the homepage of FASTag app, click on ‘Activate NHAI FASTag’ option.
Choose the E-commerce site from which you have purchased your FASTag.
After this, either scan the QR code or enter the 24-digit FASTag ID that can be found at the bottom of the tag and you can get your FASTag activated.
After the activation, link your bank account with the FASTag.
FAQs
How to check the balance on the FASTag?
The customer can check the balance of FASTag on the website of the issuer agency.
How to block the FASTag if the card is lost?
Customer can call up the customer care number of the agency from where, they issued the FASTag and can block their FASTag accounts.
What to do if one lost their FASTag card?
After losing the card, one can call up the customer care customer care number of the agency from where, they issued the FASTag and can block their FASTag accounts. Then, one can open a new account and the balance of the old account can be transferred to the new one.
One FASTag can be used for one vehicle only and the customer has to buy separate FASTag for separate vehicles.
The unified payments interface is the buzzword for the pandemic year. Ever since the pandemic hit, people became scared of touching any surface in the world. This was the time when the UPI came to the rescue. UPI or the unified payments interface is a method or gateway that is capable of transferring money from one bank to the other. This is a life saviour in a country like India. We are a country of more than a billion people and everyone has to do certain basic transactions everyday.
With so many transactions happening all over the country, it becomes hard and inconvenient. UPI eases just that thing. It lets you pay directly from your bank and you don’t have to carry notes and currency of small denominations and even larger denominations. In all its sense, UPI was a game-changer in India. It is fast, safe, easy and convenient.
There was however some issue over the UPI case in India. You cannot transfer money outside the borders of India. For that, you will have to follow some other method of transaction. In recent news, it was announced that Nepal (India’s neighbour) will accept the UPI payments from India. In fact, it will be the first country that will adopt the UPI system that India has inbuilt in itself. This step will be playing a pivotal role in transforming digital work all over the place, in India and as well as in Nepal. It was officially announced by the NPCI on Thursday, last week.
NPCI stands for National payments corporation of India. Here we will be discussing Nepal, which is India’s friend and all in all aspects. In this article, we will also discuss what will be the after-effects of this news. How will the fintech startups change, will this be a better move for them or will the move give them a hard time. Let us see first how the UPI works, and why it is so widely used.
A Small Brief About the Unified Payments Interface
We have invented so much, achieved so much and we are still in the process of innovating and adding value to the world. However, any amount of technology in the world is of no use, if it cannot ease the life of humans. Because what’s the matter if tech is useless? When the population rises to a great extent, something has to be invented which will work efficiently in managing human affairs.
In fact, as the population of the world rises, there has to be something that holds the number of transactions happening everywhere. This is when the word digital payment came into the picture. It is a mode of payment that is made via Digital means. Real money is flown out of a payer’s bank and is credited to the receiver’s bank. This is also a fast, easy and secure method to transact.
In a country like India, where the population bubble is so huge, it becomes crucial to innovate in the medium of transactions. This is when the word UPI comes to place. There is a strong possibility that someone has not heard of this word beforehand.
UPI or Unified Payment Interface is a digital payments service that costs nothing to the payer and receiver but makes it easy for both parties. It is a payments service and as the name suggests, it is a pathway through which money can be transferred to anyone in India.
It is the most accepted digital payments method. Since the demonetisation and the covid 19 pandemic, the use cases of UPI has also risen many folds. Which makes it the perfect go-to pathway for any sort of transaction.
It is developed by NPCI, which stands for National Payments Corporation of India. It is safe and secure as it is regulated by the Reserve Bank of India. RBI is the Apex bank in India, which is also the central bank of India. It regulates and secures every UPI transaction happening in the country. It is secure in this manner.
Another thing is that UPI is simple and convenient. All it takes is a mobile number and a bank account. It connects with your email id which is used to make a VPA ID. VPA is a virtual payments address.
As the name suggests, it is the online address to which payments are directed or payments are taken. VPA is something that directs the payment/transaction path. Transfers can be inter-bank and they can also be intra-bank. A mobile number also works seamlessly in the UPI payment system, if it is attached/linked with the bank account of the sender or receiver.
There are many benefits for a service like the UPI. But however, there is one limit to a UPI transaction. You cannot do a UPI payment across borders as it is only available in India. In recent news, something striking happened. It was reported that Nepal will be accepting the UPI structure of India. It is such a great welcoming move by which people can transact even in Nepal from a UPI enabled app. Let us see what is the news and what will be its implications.
India Nepal UPI Collaboration
In recent news, it was announced that Nepal will be accepting UPI which is a great initiative for development in both the countries, India and Nepal. In fact, it will become the first country to do this. The country said that they want to adopt India’s payment gateway for growing together.
NCPI has also given a nod to this agreement. Its foreign wing has joined hands with another technology entity to provide services in Nepal. The work of providing the infrastructure for this facility will begin soon in time.
NPCI International, Gateway Payment Service, and Manam Infotech, all three trifectas have come together and joined hands to deploy UPI solutions in Nepal. NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) is all set to Enable NPCI’s flagship Unified Payments Interface(UPI) platform in Nepal.
This partnership or collaboration will enable many developments, like the creation of a real-time payments system in Nepal, leveraging NPCI’s top of the line or state of the art technology to democratise payments and displace cash
NCPI has come together and joined hands with GPS and Manam Infotech to provide services relating to the Unified Payments Interface to the country of Nepal. GPS here stands for Gateway Payments Services and Manam is a famous tech company on the land of Nepal. It has been clearly stated that GPS or Gateway payment service will be responsible for acting as a system operator for payments in Nepal.
Manam infotech will add the Unified Payments Interface to the whole country. It is a divided work and with the joint efforts of the respected bodies, this work will be done in an effective manner.
The collaboration will also make for the larger digital public good in Nepal. This effort on both ends will improve real-time person-to-person which is called P2P and person-to-merchant which is P2M transactions in the neighbouring country, NPCI said in a statement.
There have been rising sentiments of all the people who see UPI as a great initiative in a digital world. With Nepal joining hands with India, this will boost the usage of UPI and it will also promote the digital economy which everyone today strives to become. Moreover, this broad use of UPI will also bring these two countries together in the same sphere of payments.
As merchants and consumers from both countries will get benefits from this collaboration. Payments can be received and accepted from both countries which will make trade and communication easier on both ends of the locations.
With collaboration with Nepal, we can achieve a greater goal of merging the two economies, not exactly but the magnitude will rise in both places. As the collaboration will start working, it will also be seen that person to person and person to merchant transactions will also improve the number of countries. National payments corporation of India and investors and merchants are all looking forward to all the doors of opportunities that will be open after this collaboration on UPI.
National payments corporation and NIPL (International payments limited) which is its foreign wing, was incorporated in April 2020. The NIPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the national payments corporation of India. The sole purpose of NPCI is to regulate all the UPI payments in India.
Everything that is related to the Unified payment interface in India is to be managed by this entity. The foreign department of NPCI is known as NIPL and operates in connecting UPI outside Indian borders. The purpose of NIPL is to employ a payment system that is real-time, with the international markets. It has also the work of card schemes and RuPay which works outside Indian borders.
NPCI or the national payments corporation of India has developed and proved its capabilities in the past. It is the organisation that has the majority stakes in working overtime with the UPI in India.
The widespread usage of the Unified payments interface would not be possible, had it not been with the NPCI. Thus, this body has been the worthy organisation to regulate and promote UPI in Indian markets. The international wing of NPCI has also done immense work in its designated part. NIPL is focused on transforming payments across the globe with the use of technology and innovation
Nepal has a population of about 30 million (3 crore) with around 45 per cent banked. Mobile penetration of over 135 per cent with 65 percent of the population using smartphones provides a bedrock for seamless replication of the digital revolution in India to be replicated in Nepal, NPCI said.
NPCI International, Gateway Payment Service, and Manam Infotech. The trifecta has come to deploy UPI solutions in Nepal. This partnership or collaboration will enable many consequences, like the creation of a real-time payments system in Nepal, leveraging NPCI’s top of the line or state of the art technology to democratise payments and displace cash. NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) is all set to Enable NPCI’s flagship Unified Payments Interface(UPI) platform in Nepal.
Conversely, several countries want to establish a ‘real-time payment system’ or ‘domestic card scheme’ in their own country. NIPL, with its knowledge and experience, can offer these countries technological assistance through licensing, consulting for building real-time payment systems to meet the rapidly evolving need of fast-growing global businesses. It will not only enable payment for Indians but also uplift other countries by enhancing their payment capabilities through technological assistance, consulting, and infrastructure.
As mentioned before, NPCI is the governing body when it comes to any case related to UPI. NPCI stands for National payments corporation India. In this case, when Nepal is agreeing to add UPI in their country, NPCI has to nod. To this query, it is amazing to see that NPCI has agreed to the partnership which will improve payments in both geographies. The foreign/international wing of the national payments corporation of India has cleared any issues related to the collaborations.
NIPL which is National international payments Ltd, which is the foreign department of the National payments corporation of India has joined with some organisations to provide UPI to the international market. In this case, where Nepal will become the first-ever country to get the UPI as their payments gateway, NIPL has planned everything which they will be needing.
They have joined two other entities to fulfil their mission of enabling UPI in Nepal. The two bodies are the GPS and Manam. GPS stands for gateway payments service and the other entity is Manam Infotech. Enabling the Unified Payments Interface in Nepal, which is not an easy task, requires a lot of work and efficiency. These two entities with which the NIPL has collaborated, are well versed with the world of UPI and how it operates.
Gateway Payments Service will be the payment system operator in Nepal. The other company, that is Manam Infotech will be responsible for employing Unified Payments Interface in the neighbour to India.
The collaboration will serve the larger digital public good in Nepal and bolster interoperable real-time person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions in the neighbouring country, NPCI said in a statement.
“Nepal shall be the first country outside of India to adopt UPI as the payments platform driving the digitalization of cash transactions and furthering the vision and objectives of the Nepal Government and Nepal Rastra Bank as the Central bank,” it said.
This collaboration will enable the last-mile consumers in Nepal to reap the benefits of an open interoperable payments system driving immediate payment transfers between bank accounts and merchant payments in real-time.
Among all the news of Nepal accepting Unified payment interface as their go-to transacting pathway, one entity is in charge of the settings. You guessed it right, it is Manam Infotech private limited.
Manam infotech will be the responsible body for enabling UPI technology and operations in India. It will work very closely and parallel to the GPS. GPS or Gateway payments service is the service that is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining the pathway.
Nepal shall be the first country outside of India to adopt UPI as the payments platform driving the digitalisation of cash transactions and furthering the vision and objectives of the Nepal Government and Nepal Rastra Bank as the Central bank.
“Manam has always been part of major digital transformation across the various regions of the world, we believe this partnership will eliminate all the barriers of payment transformation within Nepal and across the border thereby transforming the regional economy,” Naga Babu Ramineni, Director of Manam said.
Manam Infotech Private Limited is a very repeated name in the article and it is worthy to be named many times. Manam Infotech is a Fintech (Finance plus technology) company based out of Bangalore, India.
Manam Infotech is the fintech arm for many leading banks across various regions. The regions in which Manam infotech works fabulously includes Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The company stands tall with over a decade of experience in digital wallets, payments, and all the omnipresent banking and digital lending. Manam Infotech has also been a part of transforming the traditional banks to digital-first banks, which was the primary focus of the government for a long time now.
What is the Gateway Payment Service (GPS)?
Another name that we have repeated in this article is GPS or the gateway payment service. GPS is a payment system operator with expertise in all the works relating to payment services and operators. It is to its core a PSO or a payment system operator.
It is licensed by NRB, which stands for Nepal Rastra Bank, which is the apex bank in the country (Central Bank of Nepal). It has been allowed a PSO licence which enables the entity to work and operate in all sorts of payment and transaction settlement-related technology.
GPS has all the rights that include all that of payment gateway, domestic and international gateway, with UPI, that is unified payments interface in switch and in card transactions.
Benefits of UPI collaboration in Nepal
The benefits that this collaboration entails are endless. The collaboration will help people build real-time money connections with the country without having to go through the hassle of other payment methods. This UPI partnership will be real-time and it will be capable of crossing borders.
All person to person money transactions and remittances between India and Nepal will flow like water. Not just person to person transactions but all the transactions related to the merchant’s part will be carried out effectively if this collaboration gets realised.
The benefits are endless, as UPI is one of the most famous methods of payment in India. India is the second-most populous country in the world and UPI is a hit here. With all the volume of transactions that are received from here, it will benefit a lot from Nepal and it will add a good amount of transactions to Nepal too.
In 2021, UPI enabled 39 Billion financial transactions amounting to commerce worth USD 940 Billion, which is equivalent to approximately 31% of India’s GDP. UPI’s real-time payment infrastructure will help catalyse the process of financial inclusion in Nepal and will also create more opportunities for businesses. It will help modernise Nepal’s digital payment infrastructure and bring the convenience of digital payments to citizens of Nepal.
Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL said, “We are delighted to join hands with GPS and Manam Infotech to facilitate the deployment of NPCI’s flagship Unified Payments Interface in Nepal. At NIPL, we are committed to transforming payments by taking our robust payments solutions to global markets and collaborating with local payment system operators. We are excited about this partnership, which will enable consumers within Nepal to transact swiftly using a state-of-the-art UPI platform and deliver a seamless user experience. We are confident that this initiative will stand as a testimony to NAPLes technological capabilities and vision of scaling our unique offerings globally.”
Naga Babu Ramineni, Director of Manam said, “Manam has always been part of major digital transformation across the various regions of the world, we believe this partnership will eliminate all the barriers of payment transformation within Nepal and across the border thereby transforming the regional economy.”
Rajesh Prasad Manandhar, CEO of GPS said, “The same UPI service has created a significant positive impact in India in terms of the country’s digital payment transformation. We expect UPI in Nepal would play a pivotal role in transforming the digital economy of the country and dreams of building a less-cash society.”
How Will UPI Be Implemented in Nepal?
The neighbouring country of India, Nepal has good population stats. Out of all the population of Nepal, about 45 percent have bank accounts. That 45 percent account for something about 30 million people. Mobile penetration in Nepal is over 135 percent.
Moreover, it is reported that 65 percent of the population uses smartphones which will provide a good base for UPI payments. Not only this, the three major companies will work towards increasing the volume of transactions.
The three companies we are mentioning here are the UPI backed service providers. It is NPCI, National payments corporations of India, GPS, Gateway payment services, and Manam Infotech. All these three companies will work together to employ all the necessary equipment to make Unified payments accessible in Nepal all over the place.
It will also enable the way forward for real-time cross-border P2P remittances between Nepal and India, NPCI said. UPI service has created a significant positive impact in India in terms of the country’s digital payment transformation, Rajesh Prasad Manandhar, CEO of GPS said.
“We expect UPI in Nepal would play a pivotal role in transforming the digital economy of the country and dreams of building a less-cash society,” he added.
In 2021, UPI enabled 3,900 crore financial transactions valuing USD 940 billion, which is equivalent to approximately 31 per cent of India’s GDP. NIPL, being an internationally focused subsidiary of NPCI, is looking to drive deep collaboration with overseas partners in the areas of UPI like deployment, cross-border remittance, acceptance, using indigenously developed technologies in digital payments.
“At NIPL, we are committed to transforming payments by taking our robust payments solutions to global markets and collaborating with local payment system operators. We are confident that this initiative will stand as a testimony to NAPLes technological capabilities and vision of scaling our unique offerings globally,” Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL said in the statement.
UPI’s real-time payment infrastructure will help catalyse the process of financial inclusion in Nepal and will also create more opportunities for businesses, NPCI said.
NIPL, being an internationally focused subsidiary of NPCI, is looking to drive deep collaboration with overseas partners in the areas of UPI like deployment, cross-border remittance, acceptance, using indigenously developed technologies in digital payments, NCPI said.
All the three organisations have nodded to set up a laid out plan in this path. They will be working together in a closely-knit target and process that will enable UPI in Nepal.
The benefits, as previously mentioned are countless. There will be ease in transactions of any sort, people and merchants will be the group of people who will be the first and foremost most affected in a good sense.
In short, it is a great move and that is why the NPCI and the concerned authorities nodded directly to the proposed news. This move is looked at as a win-win for both countries.
UPI is amongst the most successful real-time payments (RTP) systems globally, providing – simplicity, safety, and security in P2P and P2M transactions in India. It is the most popular payment mechanism in India and the recent news said that Nepal will also be accepting this. This is a great move and will benefit both countries in transactions. The better the volume of transactions, the better will it indicate and benefit the growth of the country.
The benefits are endless and will help all the people across the borders who indulge in regular payments across larger boundaries of the land.
FAQs
Is UPI made in India?
Yes, the UPI platform and technology is designed in India and is regulated by RBI.
Who regulates UPI in India?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulates UPI in India.
How many UPI users are there in India?
There are around 300 million active monthly users of UPI in India.
We live in a world where technology has given us an option to carry a thin card instead of huge stacks of paper in a form of money. Now, we don’t have to carry large sums of money, with risk and in an uncomfortable way. A debit card is a form of a payment card, which can be used for making any kind of purchase and is accepted instead of money. It deducts the amount that you spend while buying anything, directly from your bank account.
There are many reasons why debit cards are considered more convenient than cash. India has now accustomed to using cards instead of cash. They are safe and convenient to carry.
Transactions are comparatively faster and are accepted all over the country. It also makes the online transaction easier and the best thing, it doesn’t let you overspend. Therefore, it is safe to say that a Debit card is one of the most popular and appropriate forms of cashless transaction.
“I’ve always been pretty careful at keeping track of my spending, so using my debit card is often the easiest way of doing that.”
-Andy Murray
In the following article, we’ll discuss the features provided by the top banks on debit cards.
In India, there are several banks that dominate the debit card market. Let’s find about them:
Termed as the 43rd largest in the world and largest in India, SBI is a multinational public sector bank whose headquarters is situated in Mumbai, India. This financial services company is providing the country’s citizens with its facility since 1955. It is being a big factor in the debit card market of India by holding 33% of the market share.
Some of the unique features that it provides with its debit cards are:
3D online security service is provided by the bank to have secured transactions.
Many exciting offers for shopping from E-Commerce site- Amazon.
HDFC Bank
Founded in 1994 by Hasmukhbhai Parekh and Sashidhar Jagdishan, this financial service company is India’s largest private sector bank in the market. The headquarters is situated in Mumbai, India. HDFC holds 4% of the debit card market share in India. It is the subsidiary of Housing Development Finance Corporation.
HDFC offers some good features to its debit cardholders and they are:
It provides customers with a high online payment limit.
Numerous website offers exciting amount of cashback and discount if transactions are made by HDFC debit cards.
You can set a limit on your card for shopping, so to avoid overspending.
HDFC provides EMI offers while buying anything using debit cards.
This third largest private sector bank in India is serving people since 1993. It holds 3% of the debit card market share in India and the headquarters is situated in Mumbai, India. It changed its name from UTI bank to Axis bank in 2007.
Some exclusive features provided by Axis Bank to its debit cardholders are:
You can print your customized design for your debit card.
The bank provides an option to earn reward points, after domestic and international purchases.
Up to 20% discounts are available if you dine out in a restaurant that has partnered with Axis bank.
Getting vouchers and gifts after expending and making some minimum purchases.
ICICI Bank
This bank was established in 1994 and is a subsidiary of Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, which was formed in 1955. It has 5255 branches all over India and is present in 17 countries. Moreover, it is famous for being the first Indian bank for listing itself on New York Stock Exchange. It holds 4% of the debit card market share in India.
The debit cardholders of ICICI bank enjoy some special features, and they are:
Some of the cards offer a good percentage of discounts on hotels.
Shopping vouchers are provided for purchasing from numerous E-Commerce websites.
Minimum 15% of discounts are offered to the customers for dining in the partnered restaurant.
Kotak Mahindra Bank
The third-largest private sector bank was founded in the year 2003 by Uday Kotak. The headquarters is situated in Mumbai, India again. It has over 1600 branches in India. It holds 2% of the debit card market share in India. This bank is popular for its great customer service.
ICICI provides some exclusive features to the debit cardholders and they are:
It provides an unlimited number of withdrawals for its Gold Privilege savings account customers.
Day-to-day expenses of the customer made by the card can be traced by them.
Premium cards give them the benefits of insurance on Air Accidents.
Top Banks that provide Debit Card Services in India
According to reports, as of now, there are 850 million debit cards are active in India. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, this is not something strange. Some of those banks are:
SBI
Bank of Baroda
HDFC Bank
Union Bank
Axis Bank
ICICI Bank
IDBI Bank
Bank of India
Kotak Mahindra Bank
Conclusion
The Indian payment structure saw an evolution since the introduction of payment cards. These cards play a very significant role in our day to day lives, it makes life easier and has made regular transaction safer and convenient. India is a country where the most number of debit cards is in use. The users are increasing day by day, with the motive of making transactions cashless.
FAQ
How many Types of Debit Cards are there in India?
There are six different types of debit cards present in India.
Who makes Debit Cards in India?
National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) makes the debit for which the banks pay the fee to them.
How many People in India have Debit Cards in India?
As of 2020, 860 million debit cards are active in India.
In this new Startup Insight series we connect with industry professionals to know ‘How did they do it’ – features startup experience and learning from professionals who have done a particular thing in a startup!
Let’s see what Mr. Nityanand Sharma, Founder & CEO of Simpl has got to say on ‘How BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) is Transforming Customer Purchasing Behavior‘
Simpl provides the convenience of an online khata connected to 5000+ merchants. Simpl works on BNPL mechanism – ‘Buy anything on the internet with 1 tap. Pay later.’
BNPL, with its convenient credit purchases and interest-free credit period, is playing a pivotal role in transforming consumer buying patterns. This stands reflected in the surging popularity of BNPL as a payment mode. According to a 2021 Global Payments Report by FIS, BNPL outpaced other payment modes in the high-growth e-commerce and online shopping space in India and is expected to command a 9% market share by 2024, with a 53% CAGR, up from the 3% share in 2020. India’s consumerism-oriented middle class, driven by purchasing power and aspirational purchases are fueling the growth of BNPL, which aims to deliver a digital credit experience to 400 Mn Indians who fall outside the net of the organized credit card financial system.
How BNPL is Revamping India’s traditional Khata system?
BNPL has brought to the fore an age-old tradition often practiced informally by retail shops in India i.e. taking nagad payment from relatively new customers and allowing udhaar purchases for creditworthy customers. All of the transactions were rooted in trust with the shopkeeper sharing strong relationships with a close-knit circle of customers, often residing in nearby locations.
BNPL has resulted in the reimagining of an existing concept that Indians are already familiar with. Further, with merchants less inclined to offer cash on delivery given the thrust on the cashless digital economy, there is a perceptible mindset shift in the buyers. Seeing the growing buyer interest, BNPL is now available across merchant categories- essentials, staples, groceries, medicines, apparel and clothing, electronics, and beyond. The diversification has further encouraged higher usage levels and reinforced BNPL as a viable alternative to other mainstream payment modes.
Nityanand Sharma – Founder & CEO, Simpl
How BNPL is driving a data to value transformation?
As a product, owing to its ease of use and easy to integrate functionality, BNPL is inherently customer-centric and merchant-friendly. By leveraging cutting-edge tools like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML-based credit decisioning, BNPL is enabling faster transactions with almost instantaneous credit-line approval for purchases at the time of checkout. Through better information about customer credit history and purchase patterns based on predictive models, the BNPL model has accelerated the trust-building process between merchants and buyers. With the pandemic throwing a spanner in the budget of many households, the option to split the purchases bill across time in a convenient manner has eased the financial burden for many. Buyers are able to avail improved liquidity towards purchases without the need to worry about upfront funds outlay.
A key factor that works to the advantage of BNPL is the relatively small ticket size of the credit limit available. Thus, the repayment amount is affordable and does not feel like an ‘EMI’ with an attached high-value tag. While EMIs are based on the principle of breaking up a large-sized payment into smaller monthly payments with interest, BNPL is a convenience offered to loyal and trusted buyers of merchants with an interest-free credit period. The low amount size relatively reduces the credit risk and default uncertainty compared to a credit card with a higher credit limit. It has been observed that the buyer propensity to spend is enhanced with BNPL owing to the mere 2 clicks transaction completion process. A study reveals that with BNPL, the basket size has grown in most transactions:
What is the need of BNPL?
India’s young demographic profile, comprising millennials, prefer a prompt and seamless purchase experience. Further, most of these buyers are inclined towards buying on online platforms and making payments through digital modes that are completed within a few seconds. Another notable trend is the moving away from traditional credit facilities that involve a long-drawn and cumbersome approval process. A credit card is often positioned as an alternative to BNPL. However, out of 900 Mn banking customers, it is estimated that only about 3% use credit cards attributable to the high charges and exorbitant interest rates associated with plastic money. It is expected that a high percent of the bank customer pool would be open to using BNPL, given its almost instantaneous credit approval and zero-friction payment experience.
The payment happens via a 1-click checkout option – No OTP, no CVV, No net banking. The final Bill can be cleared via any mode of payment, but BNPL purchases don’t require OTPs. This is one of Simpl’s USPs
Concluding thoughts of Mr. Nityanand Sharma
The universal goals of every digital payment mode are to ensure prompt transaction completion for merchants and deliver superior payment experiences for customers. BNPL achieves all of this and much more. Armed with a comprehensive database of customer purchases, buying patterns and payment records, BNPL can aid merchants with actionable customer insights for business strategies, give a fillip to digital-led purchase volumes and reduce overall payments fraud risk in the digital payments ecosystem.
We are living in a digital era where jobs and businesses are no more confined to our own country. Small and large businesses have risen above the border restrictions. They are spreading their wings globally. Therefore, Payoneer has entered the picture. It’s a hassle-free payment platform that allows users to send and receive money worldwide. It’s handy and serves you wherever you live.
Is it worth it? Let’s find out how it serves you and where it’s lacking in performance so you can make a final decision.
Payoneer has provided a super solution that we didn’t even know we needed. Its network is spread across many industries including Upwork, Airbnb, Wish, Getty Images, and Fiverr. It seems well-equipped to successfully bridge the gap between various countries. Now freelancers have another option to receive money from foreign employers.
Once registered, he/she can enjoy automatic money transfers to their local bank account within 24 hours. Requesting payment from international clients has never been easier. Although PayPal, the top competitor of Payoneer, is still leading the race. Top reasons include price difference. Payoneer is working its way into the market well enough considering it’s still young in the business.
Let’s see how it works.
Operation is easy. Here’s a step by step guide for you:
Payoneer Sing-in Page
Sign in to your Payoneer account
Click on ‘request a payment’
Select the payer from your list of contacts
Enter your personal (name, email) and payment details (currency, amount)
Quickly attach all the payment documents and work samples
Preview if you want.
And DONE.
A link will be sent to the client on your behalf. When they click on the “Pay Now” link, they’ll be redirected instantly to their Payoneer platform and can send you the money.
The most difficult task for Payoneer is obviously outdoing PayPal, which has been in the market for much longer time. It all comes down to the user experience though. If the app satisfies the users, more downloads will follow.
Payoneer Customers
Top Features of Payoneer
1. Easy onboarding: You can set up a Payoneer account direct from the website and it’s free. Since credit card is unacceptable, there’s no underwriting process.
2. Local Currency account: Changing currencies is a tricky task but Payoneer lets you wash your hands off it. You’ll just receive money in your local currency.
3. Marketplace Network: Its network has spread to almost all popular marketplaces and it’s constantly growing. So, you can always use the same app no matter which industry you work in.
Payoneer – Pros
Hassle-free money transfer
Extremely beneficial for freelancers and contract workers. The freelance market is growing and global transactions are necessary. You’ll need this so you can focus on your work only and not the payment hassle.
You can increase your reach to the international market without worrying about the currency exchange.
Payoneer – Cons
The cost of exchanging is higher as compared to some top competitors.
Payoneer is an online money transferring app that lets you send and receive money from foreign clients and automatically converts currency to your local one when a transaction is made.
Does Payoneer work in India?
Yes, Payoneer was banned by RBI earlier but is now functional again in India.
Is it free to register on Payoneer?
Yes, Registration is free on Payoneer.
Final Words
Freelancers and contract workers will dominate many service industries in a few years. Sign up today and open doors to the international market. Become a part of this top payment app that allows super-fast money transfer at a low cost.
Due to the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, UPI has recorded transactions of less than one billion for the month of April after 12 months of constant growth. This is the first time in the past seven months that UPI volume went below the one billion mark. According to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI has registered 0.99 billion transactions amounting to Rs 1,51,140 crore(Rs 1.51 trillion).
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an RBI regulated entity. UPI can be used through various apps like Google Pay and PhonePe to make direct payments from one bank account to another.
The lockdown imposed by government due to COVID-19 has caused everything to shut down or just semi-operational. The coronavirus outbreak has devasted many sectors of human life, let it be financial sector, industrial sector, etc. resulting into economic crisis. Yet, India’s success with unified payments interface (UPI) has continued to bring essential services to consumers amid the lockdown as well.
Though the government was able to transfer the relief money through UPI in the bank accounts of crores of Indians, UPI witnessed 20.8% drop in volume and a 26.7% fall in value as compared to the previous month. As corona effect, UPI had registered a little drop in payments volume in March resulting from 1.25 billion transactions worth Rs 2,06,462 crore or Rs 2.06 trillion.
Moreover, along with UPI, NPCI’s real-time payments service IMPS has also registered a sharp fall in volume as well as the value of transactions. In April, IMPS processed 122.47 million payments worth Rs 1,21,140.79 crore which is almost half of the previous month. In the previous month i.e. March, the figure was 216.82 million transactions worth Rs 2,01,961.70 crore.
The decline is shocking as in February 2020, the RBI governor, Shaktikanta Das, had highlighted that digital payments accounted for almost 97% of the daily payment system transactions in terms of volume. He also mentioned that digital payments had accelerated by 50% in terms of volume in the last five years.
However, UPI body NPCI’s CEO Dilip Asbe said, “ For the last five years, the number of transactions of UPI has been growing continuously month-on-month. But now there has been a slight drop in the volume due to the lockdown. The drop in volumes is due to near-zero restricted spends such as on e-commerce, travel, and similar online platforms. We expect volumes to pick up soon.”
Reasons behind the Drop in Transactions
It was anticipated that a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic would affect the digital payment volumes. However, financial experts were assured that digital payments will not get affected adversely but rather continue to grow as people would rely on digital transactions to avoid physical contact.
During the initial days of the lockdown, e-commerce, foodtech, grocery as well as other online platforms were unable to operate. This led to gradual fall in transactions but later the government had allowed essential services to continue. Moreover, payments to PM-CARES via UPI have been the driving force behind UPI’s growth which is still 20.8% drop and these numbers are only in a few million.
Yet, transactions did not comeback to the normal as government only allowed transactions on essentials. Hence, a majority of e-commerce services are still waiting for government orders. Soon, the government is likely to relax the norms for e-commerce platforms and allow them to deliver non-essential goods as well.
According to payment gateway Razorpay’s digital transaction report, for the month of April the transactions in the logistics have dropped by 96%, the travel sector has declined by 87%, food, and beverage by 68% and groceries by 54%. In the last 30 days, transactions in cities like Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Chennai took a hit of 43%, 32% and 25% respectively. The report recorded transactions between, when the lockdown was announced.
Razorpay’s report also stated that UPI emerged as the most popular digital payment method from March 24 to April 23, with 43% of the total transactions during the period. It was followed by card payments with 39% and net banking with 10%. However, compared to previous month, transactions through UPI declined by 37%, cards by 30% and net banking by 28%.
Government has asked people to prefer Contactless Payment
Travel Restrictions affected the Digital Payments
The fall in UPI and digital payments is not only because of global and national lockdowns and restrictions on non-essential segments but due to restrictions on tour, travel as well. During the lockdown, people are not allowed to travel by train or aeroplane. This resulted into massive fall in transactions as people cannot book tickets of train or plane.
The report revealed that the metro cities were affected the most and the impact was still limited in other cities and towns. This difference in impact is more significant in metro cities because the number of people travelling by air, especially for work, is also higher in the metros. The report added that leading firms are also processing fewer online and offline digital transactions with air travel, hospitality, and retail being the three most-impacted sectors.
As of now, NPCI seems prepared to handle the lockdown. CEO Dilip Asbe said that NPCI can multiple sessions and has a spare capacity to handle the demand. In order to ensure that everything keeps running smoothly, around 5% of the NPCI’s workforce is still going to office.
NPCI has already devised a plan for the situation with due consideration of all the factors. Asbe said that NPCI has received complaints from some businesses about delays in cheque clearing. He added that there could be issues on the last mile. While we are in touch with banks, there might be some issues with uploading because of the lockdown.
These issues are might be hard to resolve now as most of the workforce isn’t available now. However, Asbe said that the main objective here is to keep employees safe. If they are safe, the operations can be managed. There are things we cannot disclose, but there is enough backup in case something goes wrong.
Government is also using UPI technology for facilitating the transfer of money in the bank accounts of beneficiaries within a day under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY). He noted that besides this transfer of relief funds, the government has been using UPI for transferring monetary perks in various schemes such as Ujwala and MNREGA.
After the success of the implementation of UPI in these schemes, many state governments are now relying on UPI technology to transfer funds under various schemes. Madhya Pradesh government which recently transferred some relief money in the accounts of lakhs of construction workers. PM Narendra Modi has urged people to go for digital payment to ensure safety from the infection.
Meanwhile, several big names in the Indian startup ecosystem have come forward to appeal. Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog and Rajan Anandan, managing director of Sequoia Capital India, have been encouraging people to make online payments. Both Kant and Anandan through social media have emphasised that digital payments are the safest way to make payments to ensure minimum exposure to coronavirus.
Vidhi Punamiya
