GPay, PhonePe to end UPI ‘payment request’ feature from October 1

Starting October 1, GPay, PhonePe, and other UPI apps will no longer allow users to send person-to-person (P2P) payment requests, as directed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). This move will disable the popular 'collect request' feature, commonly used to request money from friends or split bills.

The decision comes amid rising fraud cases, where scammers sent deceptive P2P requests to trick users into authorising payments. Despite NPCI’s earlier measures, including lowering the per-transaction limit to Rs. 2,000 and capping daily usage, such scams persisted. To protect users and maintain trust in UPI, NPCI has decided to remove the feature entirely.

The deactivation will be implemented in phases. Merchant collect requests, used on platforms like Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, and IRCTC, will remain active, requiring user approval and UPI PIN entry for payments. Users will still be able to make payments through alternative methods, such as 'Scan & Pay' or by entering the recipient’s UPI ID or number.

After October 1, GPay and PhonePe users will no longer be able to send 'please pay me' requests to friends or peers; all payments must be initiated directly by the sender using QR codes, UPI IDs, or app contacts.