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UPI 123Pay: PhonePe Brings UPI to Feature Phones

3 September 20261 min read
BANKING & FINANCEUPI 123Pay:PhonePe BringsUPI to FeaturePhones3 September 2026safalsetu.com

Why in the news

Fintech firm PhonePe rolled out UPI 123Pay, aimed at users whose handsets cannot get online. The idea is to bring basic digital payments to people still on feature phones.

Key facts

  • UPI 123Pay is PhonePe’s offering for feature phones that lack internet access.
  • Technology: an SMS-based architecture, built for patchy or 2G networks.
  • Payment types: P2P (person to person) and P2M (person to merchant).
  • Other services: balance check and transaction history.
  • Support: a voice helpline driven by AI, usable in English as well as 12 Indian languages.

Significance

  • Extends UPI to handset users who have no data connection or smartphone.
  • Voice support in many languages lowers the language barrier for first-time digital users.

Exam angle

  • Launched by: PhonePe; product name: UPI 123Pay.
  • Related terms: P2P, P2M, feature phone, SMS-based UPI.
  • Language support: English and 12 Indian languages through an AI voice helpline.

Test yourself

1. Which company launched UPI 123Pay for feature phones in September 2026?

PhonePe launched UPI 123Pay for feature phone users.

2. UPI 123Pay by PhonePe is built on which type of architecture?

The service uses an SMS-based architecture suited to low or 2G connectivity.

3. How many Indian languages (besides English) does the UPI 123Pay AI voice helpline support?

The helpline works in English and 12 Indian languages.

This topic is part of Daily Current Affairs 2 September 2026 (18 topics).

All topics of the dayDay quizSeptember 2026

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