UPI biometric payments cross 600 million in June as PIN-free transactions surge
ADVERTISEMENT
Biometric authentication-based payments on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) crossed the 600-million mark in June, underscoring the growing preference among Indian consumers for PIN-free digital payments powered by fingerprint and facial recognition.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Wednesday said UPI transactions authenticated through on-device biometrics reached 611 million in June 2026, with a total transaction value of ₹25,416 crore, reflecting strong adoption across day-to-day payment use cases.
The feature enables users to authorise UPI payments using their smartphone's fingerprint sensor or facial recognition instead of entering a UPI PIN, making transactions quicker while maintaining security. It is available for both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments, allowing users to make everything from small retail purchases to money transfers with fewer steps.
NPCI said the biometric authentication facility has also been extended to RuPay Credit Card on UPI, enabling customers to complete credit card transactions through fingerprint or facial recognition without entering a PIN. The capability is aimed at offering the same seamless payment experience for credit transactions as is available for savings account-linked UPI payments.
"The growing adoption of biometric authentication reflects the increasing preference among UPI users for payment experiences that are simple and efficient. With over 600 million transactions in June, the solution is seeing strong acceptance across use cases, including RuPay Credit Card on UPI," said Sohini Rajola, Executive Director - Growth, NPCI.
She added that several banks and UPI applications already offer biometric authentication to customers, and adoption is expected to rise further as more users choose the secure and convenient payment option.
According to NPCI, on-device biometric authentication reduces dependence on UPI PINs, shortens transaction completion time and improves transaction success rates by simplifying the payment authorisation process. Since the biometric data is verified on the user's smartphone, the system also provides an added layer of security while delivering a frictionless user experience.
With more banks and payment apps enabling the feature, NPCI expects biometric authentication to play an increasingly important role in India's digital payments ecosystem.
The latest milestone also highlights the continued evolution of UPI beyond bank account transfers, with innovations such as RuPay Credit Card on UPI helping expand the platform's use cases and strengthening its position as the country's dominant retail digital payment network.