Biometric authentication-based payments on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) crossed the 600-million mark in June, underscoring growing consumer preference for PIN-free digital payments powered by fingerprint and facial recognition.

Key Highlights

• UPI biometric payments crossed 611 million transactions in June 2026, worth Rs 25,416 crore total value.
• NPCI extends biometric authentication to RuPay Credit Card on UPI, enabling PIN-free credit transactions.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said on Wednesday that UPI transactions authenticated through on-device biometrics reached 611 million in June 2026, with a total transaction value of Rs 25,416 crore - reflecting strong adoption across everyday payment use cases.

How Biometric UPI Payments Work

The feature allows users to authorise UPI payments using their smartphone's fingerprint sensor or facial recognition instead of entering a UPI PIN, making transactions faster while maintaining security. It is available for both person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) payments, covering everything from small retail purchases to money transfers with fewer steps.

NPCI has also extended the biometric authentication facility to RuPay Credit Card on UPI, enabling customers to complete credit card transactions via fingerprint or facial recognition without entering a PIN - bringing the same seamless experience already available for savings account-linked UPI payments to credit transactions as well.

"The growing adoption of biometric authentication reflects the increasing preference among UPI users for payment experiences that are simple and efficient. With over 600 million transactions in June, the solution is seeing strong acceptance across use cases, including RuPay Credit Card on UPI," said Sohini Rajola, Executive Director - Growth, NPCI. She added that several banks and UPI apps already offer biometric authentication, with adoption expected to rise further as more users opt for the secure, convenient payment method.

Benefits: Speed, Security, and Higher Success Rates

According to NPCI, on-device biometric authentication reduces dependence on UPI PINs, shortens transaction completion time, and improves transaction success rates by simplifying the authorisation process. Since biometric data is verified locally on the user's smartphone, the system adds an extra layer of security while keeping the payment experience frictionless.

Also Read: UPI Records 22.72 Bn Transactions Worth Rs 28.92 Lakh Crore in June

What This Means for UPI's Future

With more banks and payment apps rolling out the feature, National Payments Corporation of India expects biometric authentication to play an increasingly important role in India's digital payments ecosystem. The milestone also reflects UPI's continued evolution beyond simple bank account transfers, with innovations like RuPay Credit Card on UPI expanding its use cases and reinforcing its position as India's dominant retail digital payment network.