A significant disruption in the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system has brought digital transactions to a halt for users nationwide. Popular payment platforms including Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay experienced widespread outages starting around noon, leaving millions unable to complete transactions.
Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is an instant payment system developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) under the supervision of the Reserve Bank of India. It facilitates real-time inter-bank transactions through mobile devices, allowing users to transfer funds instantly between bank accounts. UPI has become integral to India’s digital economy, enabling seamless transactions for everything from small retail purchases to significant fund transfers.
Surge in User Complaints
Downdetector, a service monitoring platform, reported a sharp increase in user complaints, peaking at over 1,200 reports around 12:00 PM. Approximately 66% of users indicated issues with making payments, while 34% faced problems with fund transfers. The disruption appears to be affecting users across various banks and platforms, suggesting a broader issue within the UPI infrastructure.
NPCI Response
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages UPI services, acknowledged the technical issue and stated, “NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue and will keep you updated. We regret the inconvenience caused.”
NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue, and will keep you updated.
— NPCI (@NPCI_NPCI) April 12, 2025
We regret the inconvenience caused.
This marks the third UPI outage in less than a month. On April 2, users experienced latency issues due to fluctuations in bank success rates, and a major outage occurred on March 26, affecting users for several hours.
During the current outage, users reported receiving error messages such as “Recipient’s bank network is down. You’re not able to make payment to your recipient’s bank. Please try paying to a different bank account.” The disruption left many unable to complete even small transactions, highlighting the reliance on UPI for daily financial activities.
As of now, there has been no official statement from NPCI regarding the cause or resolution timeline. Users are advised to keep alternative payment methods ready until services are fully restored.
