The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) subsidiary, NPCI BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL), has introduced UPI Circle on the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app, allowing users to delegate UPI payments to a trusted person while staying fully in control of their account.
UPI has mainly functioned for individual use, but UPI Circle introduces a controlled delegation setup, allowing another trusted person to make payments safely without revealing PINs or relying on insecure methods.
The feature allows users to fix a monthly spending cap of up to ₹15,000, decide the delegation’s duration, monitor each transaction in real time, and modify or withdraw permissions whenever necessary.
Under Full Delegation, the primary account holder permits a secondary user, such as a family member or staff, to make payments independently, provided all transactions stay within the pre-set monthly limit.
UPI Circle helps senior citizens, students, small business employees, and digitally inexperienced dependents make everyday payments securely, while the primary account holder retains full control and oversight of all transactions.
Households and small businesses often hand over cash or reveal their UPI PINs for daily expenses. UPI Circle now provides a formal and safer way to manage these shared transactions.
To set up UPI Circle, users open the BHIM app, invite someone via mobile number or QR code, define limits and validity, verify identity, select the account, and confirm. Delegation begins after acceptance and a brief waiting period.
