UPI payments without internet? India may soon make it possible

India's NPCI is developing an NFC-based offline UPI payment system that would allow transactions up to Rs 2,000 without internet on either the customer's phone or merchant terminal, with PoS certification expected later in 2026. Users would tap their NFC-enabled smartphone on certified terminals after pre-loading funds into a UPI Lite wallet, with transaction details syncing once connectivity returns.

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