Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Digital Payments

1. What is Digital Payment Transaction?

Digital payment transaction means transaction in which the customer authorizes the transfer of money through electronic means, and the funds flow directly from one account to another.

2. What are methods of Digital Payments?

Digital Payment transactions can be done through several means. Some of them are Bharat Interface for money (BHIM), BHIM Aadhaar, Bharat QR Code, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Debit / Credit Cards, National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) etc.

3. What are the benefits of adopting digital payments?

Digital payment methods offer many benefits, such as

Convenience
Record of Transactions for tracking expenditure
Lower risk of theft, damage etc.

FAQ- Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM)

1. What is BHIM?

BHIM is a mobile application (app) which enables easy real time fund transfer using a single identity like mobile number or name. BHIM is based on Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

2. How fast is a transaction over BHIM?

All payments over BHIM is linked to bank account and transaction can be completed within few seconds.

3. Are there any charges for using BHIM?

There are no charges for making transaction through BHIM. However, banks may levy a nominal charge as UPI or IMPS transfer fee. Please check with your bank for more details.

4. In how many languages is BHIM available?

BHIM is currently available in 12 languages, i.e., Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odiya, Kannada, Punjabi, Assamese, Marathi and Gujarati.

5. What is VPA?

A Virtual Payment Address (VPA) is an address which uniquely identifies a person's bank a/c. For instance, the Virtual Payment Address for BHIM customers is in the format xyz@upi. User can just share his VPA with anyone to receive payments (no need for bank account number/ IFSC code, etc.). User can also send money to anyone by using their Payment Address. Note: Do not share your confidential UPI PIN with anyone.

6. Who can use BHIM?

Any user having a smartphone and bank account is eligible to use BHIM. However, as a prerequisite, you need your mobile number registered with the bank and a debit card linked to that account. You can download the app from playstore or appstore.

7. How does BHIM verify my mobile number and what is the process?

After you install and run the app, it will ask for language selection. After selecting the language, the application will send a SMS to verify and register the mobile number.If this step is successful, you will see a screen which will display registration successful. A default VPA “mobile number@upi” will be created.

FAQ- BHARAT QR

1. What is QR Code?

QR code is the digital form of barcode inscribed with details about a product or a company. It can be used to seek information, learn about something or pay for items bought by scanning the QR code via camera sensor.

2. What is Bharat QR?

Bharat QR is a QR based payment solution which represents a new channel of initiating and accepting payments between buyers and sellers (or consumers and merchants) using the mobile phone. This solution has been jointly set up by NPCI, Visa and MasterCard which is capable of digitizing a payment transaction between consumers and merchants by setting up an ecosystem where a Quick Response (QR) code is used as the form factor to represent the payee (merchant) for accepting payments.

These QR Codes are deployed at merchant locations for customer-initiated retail transactions and allows the customer to be in control of initiating & authenticating the payment to merchant without providing the merchant any of his/her credentials.

3. How Bharat QR works ?

Bharat QR works as an alternate channel of payment, where cardholder have to download his/her bank’s Bharat QR enabled mobile app & scan the Bharat QR code at Merchant store and select cards to make payment. Once the payment is successful both cardholder and merchant receive notification in mobile application for successful transaction.

4. How is Bharat QR transaction different from POS transaction?

Bharat QR transactions is different from POS transactions. Since in POS transaction, POS terminal is required whereas, QR code is required for doing payment in Bharat QR mode of payment.

Also, in case of Bharat QR transaction, the mobile phone is used to scan the QR Code placed at the merchant outlet and make the payment using the RuPay Card linked to the mobile application.

5. Where can I use Bharat QR to make purchase?

Just look for the Bharat QR code mark (displayed by the merchant at his location in case of static QR / on merchants App in case of dynamic QR) wherever you wish to pay.

6. How is Bharat QR code different from other QR code in market?

In comparison to other QR codes in market, Bharat QR code has lots of additional data elements for security like merchant name, address and Merchant Bank information. Bharat QR code is much more widely acceptable and secure than other QR codes. In Bharat QR code, Cardholder of RuPay, Visa, MasterCard and Amex can scan Bharat QR code for payment, which is not possible in other QR code solution.

7. What are basic requirements for enablement for Bharat QR?

a. To scan the QR code, a mobile application is required, which will be provided by your the Bank. (Please contact your bank to know the name of mobile app and download from google play store / Apple play store.

b. For Merchant to deploy Bharat QR code, they need to contact his / her respective Bank and get the application.

8. Are Bharat QR & BHIM QR Same?

BHIM is both P2P and P2M and each QR based transactions are dynamic with provision of transaction id for each payment. BHIM transactions are generated from UPI applications, whereas Bharat QR is P2M and payment is done via cards i.e. Debit card/Credit Card/ Pre-paid Card.

9. How can the smartphone be enabled for payment through Bharat QR?

In order to enable Bharat QR on the smart phone, the cardholder should follow the below mentioned steps:

a. Download the Bank’s Application which supports Bharat QR from google play store.

b. Do one time registration for linking the debit/credit card with Bank’s application

c. Go to the merchant store where payments through Bharat QR code is accepted

d. Scan Bharat QR icon in application to make payment through Bharat

10. Can I use my RuPay Card for payments through Bharat QR?

Yes, any RuPay card (Debit / Prepaid / Credit / Virtual Card) which is linked to the customer’s account / wallet can be used to make payments through Bharat QR

11. Does a customer need to register for Bharat QR transactions?

Yes, the card holder has to do one time registration of card in the mobile application and link the card with application to make payments through Bharat QR.

12. How can RuPay card be linked for payment through Bharat QR?

Cardholders have to register himself/herself with their respective Bank’s Bharat QR enabled mobile banking application.

Upon login, Cardholder needs to click add/link card tab given in the app.

13. How will the customer be informed/notified about the successful transaction?

Customer will receive notification on the mobile banking application / through SMS confirming that the transaction has been performed successfully.

14. Are there any charges for using Bharat QR?

There are no additional charges for making transaction through Bharat QR.

15. Can I link multiple bank card on same App?

At the time of account set-up, you can link same bank card with the same bank App. It can link multiple cards of the same bank in a single app.

16 How can I access a record of all historical transactions?

Every transaction will reflect on your bank account statement and you can also view the past transactions in the 'Transaction History' section of the App.

17. Do my mobile number with Bharat QR app and the one registered with my bank account have to be the same?

Yes. This is a banking network requirement. The mobile number which is used to transact with Bharat QR enabled app is used to match the bank accounts linked against it. This is used as one factor of authentication.

18. Can the existing wallet be used for payment through Bharat QR?

Yes, if the functionality of the existing wallet is/has an option for payments via prepaid card.

19. What should the customer do if the transaction has failed?

The cardholder needs to do following steps-

a. Cardholder have to click on the transaction history tab given in the app.

b. Record the failed transaction details.

c. Report to issuing bank with the failed transaction details.

20. What happens if the customer’s account has been debited and merchant has not received the payment?

In case the cardholder’s account is debited but the merchant has not received the payment, the money will be automatically refunded back into cardholders account.

Sometimes this takes longer than intended. Incase if cardholder does not receive the refund within 24 hours, customer should contact customer support of the bank. Cardholder can also raise a chargeback through proper channel as prescribed by respective banks.

21. What happens if the credentials while doing Bharat QR payment are entered wrong?

No problem, the mobile application will prompt you to re-enter the correct PIN. The maximum number of tries allowed, depends on your bank. Please check with your bank for details.

FAQ - Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

1. What is UPI?

Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), an RBI regulated entity. UPI is built over the IMPS infrastructure and enables instant money transfer between any two parties' bank accounts.

2. What is an UPI-PIN?

UPI-PIN (UPI Personal Identification Number) is a 4-6 digit pass code that any user create/set during first time registration with this App. It is necessary to enter this UPI-PIN to authorize all bank transactions. If user has already set up an UPI-PIN with other UPI Apps he/she can use the same on BHIM.

3. What is a Payment Address?

4. How do I pay an online merchant through UPI?

While shopping online, user can pay through UPI when UPI is available as a payment option. User will need to enter his/her Virtual Payment Address (xyz@upi), Subsequently, user will receive a collect request on the BHIM app. User is just required to enter the UPI-PIN to complete the payment.

5. Do money transfers happen on UPI only during banking hours?

All payments are instant and 24/7, regardless of bank's working hours.

FAQ - Immediate Payment Service (IMPS)

1. What is IMPS?

Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) is an instant interbank electronic fund transfer service available through mobile banking, Internet Banking, etc.

2. What are the benefits of IMPS?

Instant
Available 24 x7 (functional even on holidays)
Safe and secure, easily accessible and cost effective
Channel Independent can be initiated from Mobile/ Internet / ATM channels
Debit & Credit Confirmation by SMS

3. How do I get IMPS enabled?

Sender needs to perform Mobile Banking Registration if he/she wants to initiate the transaction through mobile channel. For internet, ATM and bank branch channels, mobile registration is not required.

Receiver should collect his/her MMID from bank and share with sender or alternatively share his/her Account number & IFS code or Aadhaar number for receiving money. The receiver can register his/her mobile no. for getting SMS alerts for transactions.

4. How do I transfer funds using IMPS?

The following channels may be used to initiate IMPS transactions.

Mobile phones
Smartphone- Bank App/ SMS / WAP/USSD (NUUP)
Basic phone-SMS/USSD (NUUP)
Internet- Bank’s Internet banking facility
ATM-By Using ATM Card at Banks ATM

The sender enters receivers details like:

· MMID & Mobile no. or Account number & IFS Code or Aadhaar number

Amount to be transferred
Remarks/Payment Reference number
Sender’s M-PIN

Both sender & receiver get SMS confirmation.

5. Does the customer need to register to remit the funds through IMPS?

For using IMPS on mobile phones, a customer will have to register for mobile banking with his/her individual bank. However, for initiating IMPS using Bank branch, Internet banking and ATM channels, no prior Mobile banking registration is required.

FAQ- BHIM-Aadhaar-Pay

1. What is BHIM-Aadhaar-Pay?

BHIM-Aadhaar Pay is a payment mechanism which allows the customer to make payments to merchants without any mobile phone, using his/her Aadhaar number through a STQC certified biometric device. It enables merchants to accept digital payments from customers via Aadhaar based biometric authentication. When the customer makes a purchase using Aadhaar Pay, money is debited from his/her Aadhaar linked bank account and credited to merchant’s account.

2. What are the Pre requisites for Aadhaar Pay?

Pre requisite for a customer:

The customer should have Aadhaar Number His / her account should be KYC compliant
His/her bank account should be linked with Aadhaar. His / her account should be KYC compliant
His / her account should be KYC compliant

Pre requisite for a Merchant:

Merchant should be registered on Bhim Aadhaar Pay
He/She should have STQC certified biometric device
He/She should have Aadhaar number.
His/her bank account should be linked with Aadhaar.
His / her account should be KYC compliant

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