Gupshup.io, the conversational engagement platform is introducing UPI payments for feature phone users in India. The team has worked extensively with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to develop GSPay, a native payment app for feature phones to simplify the payment process by eliminating the need for numeric input. GSPay utilizes SMS messaging to enable convenient payments without requiring a data plan or internet connectivity.
With GSPay, feature phone users will now be able to make payments by scanning QR codes. The app will enable feature phone users to pay bills, sends them actionable payment reminders, and helps them keep track of their outgoing and incoming transactions done on UPI. The GSPay app is made secure with the help of multiple levels of encryption and authentication protocols.
Gupshup.io is utilizing UPI 123 Pay, an immediate payment system introduced last year by RBI and NPCI, to enable safe and secure payments for feature phone customers. So far, systems built on UPI 123 Pay have used either missed calls or an IVR-based payment system. The IVR-based technology, on the other hand, works for existing UPI users. However, using GSPay, even new users may register for UPI, link bank accounts, and set UPI PINs all within the phone’s embedded software.
Steps to Make a Payment Via the GSPay
- The app gives the option to make payments either via mobile number or UPI ID, completing the transaction in a simple 2-step process.
- To make a payment, the user needs to enter the mobile number or UPI ID of the payee, the amount, and the UPI PIN.
- Upon confirmation, the payment is successfully completed and the user gets a notification.
According to August 2021 data from Counterpoint Research, India had a considerable installed base of 320 million feature phone users. The figure could be anywhere around 330 million in 2023, and GSPay will help them make utility and P2P payments, without any data connection. The GSPay app is accessible in 12 Indian languages, including English, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, and Assamese, to provide accessibility even at the grassroots level. The company recently collaborated with Nokia (HMD Global) to make GSPay available on the Nokia 105 (2023) and Nokia 106 4G feature phones.
The company’s solution (now GSPay) won NPCI’s Grand Challenge in 2020, beating 750 innovators from around the world, who had submitted ideas and solutions for a payment system for feature phones in India. The challenge was launched in November 2019 by NPCI and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
