UPI, or Unified Payments Interface, is a real-time payment system that allows users to transfer money between multiple banks without disclosing their bank account details. It is one of the most popular and convenient digital payment methods in India, with over 3.5 billion transactions worth Rs 6.4 lakh crore as of January 2021.
However, on Tuesday evening, UPI users across the country faced problems making their payments as servers of several banks were down due to internal technical issues. The outage affected various banking services and UPI-enabled apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, BHIM and Paytm.
Users expressed their frustration on social media platforms as they were unable to make transactions or transfer funds. Some of the common complaints were “UPI payment failed”, “UPI server down”, “UPI not working”, “UPI error” and “UPI unavailable”.
“I have been trying to pay my electricity bill for two hours using UPI, but it is not working. It’s very annoying and impractical. Please resolve this issue as soon as possible.
– User AX
“I had to pay my rent today using UPI, but it failed several times. My landlord is angry and threatens to evict me. What am I supposed to do? This is unacceptable.”
– A Facebook user
“I had to send money to my sister for her medical emergency using UPI, but it didn’t go through. She is in critical condition and urgently needs money. Its a question of life or death. Please help me.
– A WhatsApp user
NPCI, the National Payments Corporation of India, the organization that runs UPI, said its systems were working well and it was working with banks to resolve the issue. NPCI is an apex organization that manages retail payment and settlement systems in the country, under the supervision of the Reserve Bank of India.
“I regret the inconveniences associated with UPI connectivity as few banks face internal technical issues. The NPCI systems are working well and we are working with these banks to ensure rapid resolution.
– NPCI Statement
HDFC Bank, one of the country’s largest banks, said it faced some difficulties with UPI, which was part of a larger ecosystem, and resumed operations later. HDFC Bank has come under scrutiny from the RBI for its frequent technical glitches in the past.
“We encountered some difficulties on UPI which was part of a larger ecosystem. We are back up and running now. We regret the inconvenience caused to our customers.
– HDFC Bank Spokesperson
Neither banks nor NPCI have officially recognized the UPI failure or provided clarification on the cause or time frame for resolution. The UPI outage highlighted the importance of robust digital infrastructure and rapid resolution mechanisms to avoid disruptions to essential financial services. UPI is expected to play a key role in the government’s vision of a digital and cashless economy.
Learn more: UPI expected to launch in Sri Lanka soon after India-Sri Lanka deal
