Digital transactions across India came to a halt on Saturday as the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) experienced a widespread outage, affecting lakhs of users. Leading payment platforms including Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm were hit by the disruption, while UPI services offered by major banks such as State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, Bank of Baroda (BOB), and Kotak Mahindra Bank also faced severe interruptions.
The outage began around 11:26 AM and peaked within minutes, with platforms like Downdetector recording over 2,200 complaints from users unable to make payments or transfer funds. Many users reported transaction failures, delays in payment confirmations, and an inability to log in to their apps.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which operates UPI, confirmed intermittent technical issues and said efforts were underway to restore services. “NPCI is currently facing intermittent technical issues, leading to partial UPI transaction declines. We are working to resolve the issue and will keep you updated. We regret the inconvenience caused,” the NPCI stated.
This marks the third major UPI disruption in less than a month, with similar outages reported on March 26 and April 2. The recurring nature of these failures has sparked concerns about the robustness of India’s digital payment infrastructure, particularly as UPI has become central to everyday transactions.
Frustrated users took to social media, sharing incidents of being stranded without cash or unable to complete purchases. Many demanded a more resilient, zero-downtime system for UPI to avoid repeated disruptions.
As of now, NPCI has not provided a clear timeline for full resolution. Users are advised to keep alternative payment methods ready while monitoring official updates.
