Explained: What is UPI Lite, how it works and which apps support it
Last Updated: 2026-04-27 07:16:06
UPI Lite was introduced to facilitate small-value payments and solve its biggest limitations, which is its dependency on internet connectivity. With India almost seeing a massive 22.64 billion UPI transactions every month, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced a new way to carry out small-ticket transactions. UPI Lite enables UPI transactions to be reliable and more convenient without scope for payment failures.
We tell you all about UPI Lite, and how you can use this feature to complete a low amount transaction without entering your UPI PIN or relying on the internet.
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What is UPI Lite?
UPI Lite is an on-device wallet for carrying out small-value payments under Rs 1,000 without entering the UPI PIN or any other authentication method. It has been devised to ease small-ticket payments in a failproof manner.
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Moreover, NPCI has also introduced a UPI Lite X payment solution that can even work without any active internet connection and works using Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. UPI Lite X is currently available through the BHIM application.
Within the UPI Lite system, you can spend a maximum of Rs 10,000 per day on instant transactions, with Rs 1,000 set as the maximum limit per transaction. In addition, can add money to the wallet using UPI and store up to Rs 5000 in the wallet at a given time.
How to activate and use UPI Lite?
UPI Lite can be operated similarly to how a wallet on a banking app operates.
- To activate UPI Lite in one of the supported UPI apps, such as Paytm, GPay, and PhonePe, add money (up to Rs 5,000) via your UPI account.
- You can scan any QR code or enter a phone number and pay an amount below Rs 1,000 without requiring a PIN or biometric.
There is also an option to automatically top up a certain amount after your UPI Lite wallet balance is low. The money will be directly transferred to the user’s or business’s UPI account.
Which Banks Support UPI Lite?
As of March 2026, major Indian banks that support UPI Lite for quick, PIN-less, small-value transactions include SBI, HDFC, Axis, Kotak, Canara, and others.
The support is growing steadily, and you can also check if your bank supports the UPI Lite system by going to UPI platforms like Paytm, BHIM, Google Pay, and PhonePe. A host of other payment apps are also working to bring support for UPI Lite soon.