Google Pay needs no introduction. We all know how popular and mandatory this UPI or Unified Payments Interface has become. Because of this UPI, people stopped withdrawing cash from banks and ATMs. Whether buying a car or vegetables, it is no longer surprising that all these transactions happen on the UPI app.

Be it metropolitan cities, towns, and villages, everyone uses Google Pay. It has become the one-stop destination for paying street vendors, booking tickets, and paying utility bills. Instead of wasting time visiting banks and branches, many people renew their insurance, policies, and other significant transactions – all for free. However, it has now announced that a convenience charge would be applied to certain bill payments.

After PhonePe, Google Pay is the most-used UPI in India for bill payments. It has almost 37 percent share of UPI transactions. It has settled to charge a convenience fee on bill payments using credit and debit cards. These services were free earlier. According to reports, this UPI is expected to levy 0.5 to 1 percent of the transaction amount. However, GST will apply to this. The UPI is yet to confirm the news.

This is not the first time, but this UPI did this before as well. On mobile recharges it levied a convenience fee of Rs 3. It isn’t the first to charge. PhonePe, the biggest player in India, also charged a nominal charge as a convenience fee for bills paid through cards. Paytm charges ranged from Rs 1 to Rs 140 depending on recharges through UPI and bill payments.

Adding a new feature: It added a UPI Circle feature that allows users to add their family members and friends as secondary users – no need to link their bank account.

Will people appreciate the convenience charges applicable to paying bills through cards on Google Pay or it face any backlash?

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