Adding a secondary user to Google Pay’s payment app is made easier with UPI Circle

At the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024, Google Pay announced a significant update to its app with the introduction of the UPI Circle (Delegate Payments) feature. This new functionality will allow users to empower family members or trusted friends to make UPI payments without the need to link their own bank accounts. The feature is expected to roll out in India later this year.

To utilize this Delegate Payments mechanism, the primary account holder’s permission is necessary for certain actions. As an existing UPI user on Google Pay, you will have the option to designate family members or friends as secondary users within your UPI Circle. The feature offers two formats: Partial Delegation and Full Delegation.

When a secondary user initiates a transaction, the primary user retains complete control over payments through partial delegation. In contrast, Full Delegation allows the primary user to set a monthly spending limit, up to ₹15,000, enabling secondary users to independently make payments within this limit.

The Google Pay team highlighted the need for such a feature, noting that a portion of the population remains reliant on cash or hesitant to use UPI due to factors like limited access to banking services. This feature aims to bridge that gap, offering more flexibility to users.

Additionally, Google Pay is introducing prepaid UPI vouchers. With this, users will be able to conduct transactions with supported merchants using any UPI app, including Google Pay, without the need to link a bank account to UPI.

In partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) Bharat Billpay, Google Pay is also launching support for ClickPay QR, allowing users to pay bills directly by scanning a QR code within the app.

Furthermore, Google Pay is expanding its list of supported recurring payment categories by including prepaid utilities through its collaboration with NPCI Bharat Billpay. This will make it easier for users to find and pay their prepaid utility providers or aggregators.

Google Pay is also integrating Tap & Pay functionality for RuPay cards. Users can add their RuPay cards to the Google Pay app and make payments by simply tapping their mobile devices on a card machine. Importantly, Google Pay ensures that sensitive information, such as the 16-digit card number, is not stored within the app.

Lastly, Google Pay is adding the Autopay feature for UPI Lite users, further enhancing the app’s capabilities and user convenience.