NPCI Allows WhatsApp Pay To Offer UPI Services To All Users
The National Payments Corporation of India on Tuesday removed the limit on onboarding UPI users for WhatsApp Pay, allowing the popular messaging app to offer payment services to its entire user base in India with immediate effect.
Earlier, NPCI had authorised WhatsApp Pay to expand its UPI user base in a phased manner. There was a cap of 10 crore users, which has now been lifted by NPCI.
"Previously, NPCI had permitted WhatsApp Pay to expand its UPI user base in a phased manner. With this notification, NPCI is removing the limit restrictions on user onboarding on WhatsApp Pay. WhatsApp Pay shall continue to comply with all existing UPI guidelines and circulars applicable to existing TPAPs," the notification said.
Separately, the NPCI extended the implementation of UPI volume cap guidelines by two years to December 2026.
The NPCI originally planned to implement volume cap guidelines in 2021, which was delayed to this year after pushback from service providers. The measure involves a 30% volume cap on third-party UPI apps.
"Considering various factors, the timeline for compliance of existing TPAPs who are exceeding the volume cap is extended by two years, i.e., till December 31, 2026," the NPCI said in a statement.
The cap applies only to third-party app providers, while the UPI apps offered by banks are exempt from such a ceiling.
The extension comes as a positive change for both PhonePe and Google Pay, which dominate the UPI payments market. Presently, out of over 75 UPI apps, only two—PhonePe and Google Pay—account for over 85% of all UPI transactions in India, by volume and value, according to data available with the NPCI.
As many as 17 new TPAPs, or third-party application providers, have gone live with their own UPI offerings in 2024. While the new entrants include established players like Aditya Birla Capital Digital and Flipkart, the list is dominated by little-known names. These service providers are looking to target niches and not compete in the mass market.
The NPCI is an umbrella organisation for operating retail payments and settlement systems in India. It is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India and the Indian Banks' Association for creating a robust domestic payment and settlement infrastructure.
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