Mumbai
India’s digital payments landscape is witnessing remarkable growth, with active UPI QR users reaching 709 million and transaction volumes hitting 59.33 billion in July-September, a new report revealed on Thursday. Transaction value also surged 21 percent year-on-year to Rs 74.84 lakh crore, highlighting the growing adoption of scan-and-pay methods across the country.
According to Worldline India, dense QR acceptance at kiranas, pharmacies, transport hubs, and rural markets has made UPI the preferred payment mode nationwide. Person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions are outpacing person-to-person (P2P) activity, reflecting UPI’s dominance in daily retail payments. P2M transactions rose 35 percent to 37.46 billion, while P2P transactions increased 29 percent to 21.65 billion.
The average ticket size declined slightly to Rs 1,262, indicating that consumers are increasingly using UPI for micro-transactions such as mobility, food, healthcare, and local commerce. Point-of-sale (PoS) terminals also grew 35 percent, reaching 12.12 million, while Bharat QR saw a minor decline amid the shift to UPI QR usage. Private banks continue to lead, holding 84 percent of acceptance deployment.
Card usage trends showed credit card transactions rising 26 percent to 1.45 billion, with a transaction value of Rs 6.07 lakh crore. Meanwhile, debit card transactions declined 22 percent, reflecting a shift of low-ticket spends to UPI. Mobile and contactless payments are gaining traction, particularly in metro areas and quick-service retail.
The report highlighted that Q4 2025 and early 2026 are expected to bring further innovation, with interoperable QR codes becoming a standard across mobility, healthcare, fuel stations, and public utilities, strengthening India’s position as one of the world’s most dynamic real-time payments economies.
