Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched UPI (United Payments Interface) based BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) apP. The app is currently available for Android smartphone users. BHIM is designed to make digital transactions easy and more efficient. Here’s what Narendra Modi tweeted with the app download link:
“Download BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) App. It will improve ease, experience & efficiency of digital transfers.”
“Whether it’s a smartphone or a feature phone of Rs. 1,000-1,200, BHIM app can be used on both platforms. There is no need to have Internet connectivity,” stated PM Modi. “One only needs a thumb. There was a time when an illiterate was called ‘angutha chchap’. Now, time has changed. Your thumb is your bank now. It has become your identity now,” he added.
BHIM is an initiative to enable fast, secure, reliable cashless payments through your mobile phone. After signing up, one can send or request money through the app. The app is linked directly to your bank account allowing you to transact directly through your bank without loading any wallet. Same for merchant, whenever a customer pay through BHIM app, the money will be credited directly to the merchants accont. BHIM app is developed by the National Payment Corporation of India.
The BHIM app is available on Google play, download and install the app and then you have to sign up to use the app. Register your bank account with BHIM, and set a UPI PIN for the bank account. Your mobile number is your payment address (PA), and you can simply start transacting.
You can also check your account balance or previous transaction details through the app. You can also create a custom payment address in addition to your mobile number. You can also make payments to merchants by simply scanning the merchant’s QR code.
Feature phone users can access the interface without downloading the app by dialing a USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code *99#. Internet connection is not required for using this service.
The BHIM app supports both the languages, Hindi and English. According to the developers, more languages will be introduced soon. As per the transaction limits, you can not transfer more than Rs. 10,000 at a time, and, not more than Rs. 20,000 a day.
All the major banks like Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Allahabad Bank, Andhra Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Indian Bank, RBL Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Bank of Maharashtra, Standard Chartered Bank, South Indian Bank, United Bank of India, Catholic Syrian Bank, Dena Bank, DCB Bank, Federal Bank, IDFC Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Indusind Bank, Karnataka Bank, Karur Vysya Bnak, Syndicate Bank, Union Bank of India, Vijaya Bank, are supported.