From tea stalls to departmental stores, UPI redefines everyday payments

New Delhi, Aug 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, has transformed the way Indians make payments. This is how digital transactions have become an integral part of everyday life.

Over the past decade, UPI has witnessed remarkable growth. From around 2 crore transactions in financial year 2016-17, the platform recorded more than 24,000 crore transactions in financial year 2025-26. During the same period, the value of transactions rose from Rs 0.07 lakh crore to Rs 314 lakh crore.

Significantly, India has emerged as a global leader in real-time digital payments. Around one in every two real-time digital transactions worldwide is taking place in India. According to the data, in July 2026 alone, UPI recorded more than 2,360 crore transactions.

The impact of UPI is visible everywhere in the market. According to the figures, 86 per cent of UPI merchant payments are below Rs 500. This underlines the fact that the system is being used extensively for everyday small-scale purchases. According to data, UPI is reported to account for around 84 per cent of digital payments in the country.

IANS spoke to some traders and store owners in different localities of the national capital. At Jai Bharat Departmental Store in Sector 1, Pushp Vihar, local shopkeepers are of the view that “digital payments have made transactions quicker and more convenient”.

Customers can now scan a QR code and pay instantly, even for small purchases, without worrying about carrying cash or finding exact change, they pointed out.

For small businesses, the system has also made payment collection easier and reduced dependence on cash, said a departmental store owner. According to them, digital records help keep track of transactions. Similarly, customers benefit from quick and simple payments, they remarked.

Shopkeepers in Pushp Vihar were asked how UPI has changed their businesses. They said that the system has reduced the problem of arranging change. Massive use of QR-code payments has changed customer habits in the local market, said one of them. He also said that small traders like tea stall owners have benefited a lot from UPI.

UPI users, meanwhile, were asked how the system has changed their daily payment experience. From buying groceries and tea to paying travel expenses and utility bills, digital payments have increasingly replaced cash for routine transactions.

The success of UPI has also become a significant part of India's digital transformation story. Launched a decade ago, the platform has grown from a new payment system into a widely used part of everyday commerce, connecting consumers, shopkeepers and businesses through instant digital payments.

For local traders and customers alike, the QR code at a shop counter has become a familiar symbol of this change — reflecting how technology has moved digital payments from an emerging concept to an ordinary part of daily life.

Medical store owners Nand Lal, Santosh Kumar Jha and Abhishek admired UPI system of payment, saying they have seen a huge surge in bank transactions due to this. The problem of change money has been resolved due to this, they added. It is even convenient for customers too, they said.

Source: IANS