THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
MUMBAI, MARCH 24, 2026
National Payments Corporation of
India’s wholly owned subsidiary, NPCI BHIM Services Limited, has introduced
biometric authentication for UPI transactions on the BHIM Payments App,
enabling users to approve payments of up to ₹5,000
using their smartphone’s fingerprint or facial recognition. The feature is now
available on both iOS and Android devices that support biometric capabilities,
enhancing the speed, convenience and security of everyday digital transactions.
With this advancement, users can
complete routine UPI payments without entering their PIN each time, making the
process more seamless and reducing instances of failed transactions caused by
forgotten or incorrectly entered PINs. The biometric feature can be used across
a wide range of common payment scenarios such as transferring money to family
and friends, scanning merchant QR codes, and making online purchases, thereby
making digital payments more intuitive and user-friendly.
Lalitha Nataraj, MD & CEO, NBSL,
said, “BHIM Payments App has always focused on making digital payments simple,
secure and accessible for every Indian. With biometric authentication, we are
making everyday payments easier while strengthening trust in how they are
approved. By enabling users to confirm transactions through their fingerprint
or face unlock, we are reducing reliance on PIN entry while keeping payments
closely tied to the user. This is another step towards building a seamless and
dependable digital payments experience for millions of Indians.”
Biometric authentication introduces an additional layer of security by ensuring that transaction approvals remain linked to the user’s unique identity stored securely on the device. This significantly reduces risks associated with PIN sharing or incorrect entry while improving user confidence in digital payments. Transactions exceeding ₹5,000 will continue to require UPI PIN authentication, maintaining an added safeguard for higher-value payments.
Users can enable biometric authentication within the app by accessing their profile settings, selecting the linked bank account, and activating biometric transactions, after which eligible payments can be completed quickly using fingerprint or facial recognition.
