Quick-commerce platform Zepto has introduced an in-app Unified Payments Interface (UPI) feature, allowing users to make UPI payments directly within the Zepto app without being redirected to external payment apps like Google Pay or PhonePe. The capability has been in place for several months, as delivery platforms increasingly bring payment functionality inside their own interfaces to streamline checkout and reduce reliance on third-party providers.

Key Highlights

• Zepto introduces in-app UPI payments, eliminating redirection to third-party apps and improving checkout efficiency.
• Move reflects growing trend among delivery platforms to internalise payments and enhance transaction success rates.

By embedding UPI into its app, Zepto aims to make the payment experience faster and more seamless, reducing transaction failures and enhancing the overall user journey. This move aligns Zepto with competitors such as Swiggy and Zomato, which have also launched their own in-app UPI solutions to improve payment success rates and shorten checkout flows.

Industry observers say that internalising payments gives platforms greater control over transaction flows—crucial for high-frequency businesses like quick commerce, where even small improvements in checkout speed can boost order completion rates, especially during peak periods.

Also Read: UPI-Led Digital Payments Touch Yearly Peak in December

Unlike traditional UPI intent flows that redirect users to third-party apps, Zepto’s in-app feature keeps users within its own ecosystem from order to payment, strengthening engagement and potentially increasing conversion. This reflects a broader trend among large delivery and commerce platforms to retain more of the customer journey inside their own applications.

While Zepto has not made a formal announcement about the rollout, the adoption of an integrated UPI capability underscores the growing importance of payments as a strategic competitive layer in India’s fast-evolving digital economy.