Online transactions: Make UPI payments offline without internet, here's how

Do you often find yourself in the middle of an online transaction using Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe, or another UPI payment service, only to have your internet connection cut off? Well, *99#, a USSD-based mobile banking service, could be the solution for you. This service lets you send and request money, change UPI PIN, and check account balance even without an internet connection.

With *99#, banking services are accessible to everyone across the country, as it is offered by 83 leading banks and 4 telecom service providers and is available in 13 different languages, including Hindi and English. Here's how you can set it up and make offline UPI payments:

To set up offline UPI payments, dial *99# on your smartphone or feature phone using the same phone number linked to your bank account. Choose your desired language and enter your bank name. You will then be shown a list of bank accounts linked to your number, so select the one you want to use by pressing the correct option. Finally, enter the last 6 digits of your debit card and its expiry date.

Once you've successfully set up *99#, you can make UPI payments without an internet connection. Dial *99# on your phone and enter 1 to send money. Choose your desired option and enter the UPI ID/phone number/bank account number of the person you want to send money to. Then, enter the amount and your UPI PIN. Once you've completed the process, your payment will be made, and you'll be charged a maximum of Rs. 0.50 per transaction for using the *99# service. The current upper limit on this service is Rs. 5,000 per transaction.

By following these simple steps, you can now make UPI payments even without an internet connection, giving you peace of mind and ensuring that your transactions are never interrupted.

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