Did you know that to do UPI payments you do not always need an internet connection? Many times, a UPI user face problems doing UPI payments due to slow internet, thus, interrupting the process. But there is also an offline mode to do payments through UPI.
The ‘*99# service’ was introduced to include all mobile users, irrespective of whether they use a smartphone or not, in the UPI ecosystem. If the phone number you are using is linked to your bank account, then you can avail all facilities of UPI using *99#.
For smartphone users, using UPI via *99# may make little sense as they have access to UPI apps but for feature phones, the *99# USSD code is the only choice for paying via UPI. However, one thing should be noted that to make UPI payments through mobile through *99#, users’ mobile numbers must be linked with their bank accounts.
Follow the step-by-step guide below to do UPI payments in offline mode:
- Open the dialer of your phone- and enter *99# and tap on the call button.
- Then a message will come asking to select language, select your preferred language if you want English, press 1.
- Then a menu will appear with lots of options. As we only need to send money, press 1 and tap on send.
- Now, select the option through which you want to pay money using UPI to the receiver. If you want to do it using a mobile number, select option 1
- After this, enter the mobile number with which the receiver’s bank account is linked
- Now enter the amount you want to send and press send and write a remark about the payment.
- For the final step, enter your UPI PIN & press ‘send’.
- Once it gets transferred you will receive a transaction status update on your phone along with a reference ID.
Voila, your transaction has been completed that too without an internet connection.
In future, you wish to disable your UPI you can do that too using the *99# option.
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