Nationwide glitch disrupts UPI payment

Digital payments across India hit a speed bump on Friday as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) experienced another major outage, leaving users stranded mid-transaction on platforms such as Google Pay and Paytm.

Reports of failed payments and delays flooded social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where frustrated users shared their experiences with failed transfers and disrupted services—particularly on third-party apps.

According to DownDetector, which tracks real-time service disruptions, issues began surfacing around 11:26 AM and peaked at 11:41 AM, with over 222 user reports. By noon, the number of complaints had climbed to 1,168, with 96 reports specifically linked to Google Pay and 23 to Paytm.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which oversees UPI, acknowledged the issue via a post on X. They cited “intermittent technical issues” leading to partial transaction failures and assured that resolution efforts are ongoing.

This is the sixth major outage UPI has seen in the past year. The most severe occurred on March 26, when UPI services were crippled for nearly three hours, causing widespread disruption for both consumers and businesses.

Adding to the strain, earlier this week on April 8, the NPCI restricted the use of QR codes for international UPI transactions, aiming to improve payer identification. However, domestic QR code payments remain unaffected.