UPI Payments Disrupted Across India as Outage Hits Digital Transactions

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April 12, 2025 - A widespread outage of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has severely disrupted digital payment services across India today. Starting around 11:30 AM IST, a large number of users began reporting failures in transaction processing on various UPI-based platforms, including popular apps like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay.



According to Downdetector, a service that monitors online outages, reports of UPI issues spiked significantly around 11:41 AM IST, with over a thousand users logging complaints. The primary issues reported include the inability to make payments and difficulties in transferring funds.

Social media platforms are flooded with user complaints expressing frustration over the disruption. Many users highlighted the inconvenience caused by the outage, especially for day-to-day transactions that heavily rely on UPI. One user on X (formerly Twitter) remarked, "UPI is down again today, all payments are getting failed. At least there should be prior intimation sent in case of planned outage."

The outage appears to be impacting a wide range of banks and UPI applications. Besides the major third-party apps, some users have also reported issues with direct banking applications for services like SBI, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank. While some users could still check their account balances, processing payments remained largely unsuccessful.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), the governing body that operates the UPI network, has yet to issue an official statement regarding the cause and expected resolution time of this widespread disruption. This is the sixth major outage experienced by the UPI system in the past year, raising concerns about the reliability of the crucial digital payment infrastructure.



This incident occurs just days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) authorized the NPCI to revise transaction limits for person-to-merchant (P2M) payments on the UPI, a move intended to enhance the user experience and facilitate larger transactions. However, today's outage underscores the need for a robust and stable UPI infrastructure to support the increasing volume of digital transactions in the country.

As of 1:00 PM IST, the issue remains unresolved, leaving countless individuals and businesses struggling to conduct their routine financial activities. Users are advised to carry alternative payment methods such as cash or cards until the UPI services are restored. This is a developing story, and further updates are expected as the NPCI addresses the situation.

General Information about UPI in India:

The Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is a real-time payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). It facilitates instant fund transfers between two bank accounts on a mobile platform. UPI has become an integral part of the Indian economy, enabling a vast number of peer-to-peer (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions daily. Its key features include:

 * Instant Transfers: Money can be transferred instantly, 24/7, including weekends and holidays.

 * Single Identifier: Payments can be initiated and received using a unique UPI ID, phone number, or QR code, eliminating the need to share sensitive bank details.

 * Multiple Bank Accounts: Users can link multiple bank accounts to a single UPI application.

 * Security: UPI transactions are generally secure, with multi-factor authentication.

 * Wide Adoption: It is widely accepted by merchants, both large and small, across the country.

While UPI has revolutionized digital payments in India, outages like the one experienced today highlight the challenges in maintaining such a large and critical infrastructure. Ensuring the stability and reliability of the UPI network is crucial for the continued growth and adoption of digital payments in the country.


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