Google Play Store Officially Gets UPI as a Payment Option

Google on Thursday officially announced the addition of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as a new payment option on the Google Play Store for its users in India.

Over the next few weeks, UPI would show up as a new payment option on the Play Store in India for purchasing apps, games, and in-app content using your preferred UPI app including BHIM, Google Pay, Paytm, and PhonePe.

Users would need to link their UPI ID (VPA) in Google Play Store Billing and use their bank account to conveniently make app and in-app purchases. The feature was spotted for some users earlier this week.

"Indian app developers are already building successful businesses on the Google Play Store offering a range of great apps across categories, and we are committed to helping them grow," Saurabh Agarwal, Head of Google Play Retail and Payments Activation - India, Vietnam, and New Zealand, said in a statement.

"One way to make this happen is to make it even easier for people to pay for apps and in-app content, which is why we are pleased to add Unified Payment Interface (UPI) as a new payment method to the existing roster of credit or debit card, net banking, direct carrier billing, and gift cards options," he added.

The addition of UPI as a payment option on the Google Play Store will allow more people to use premium apps, games, and in-app content, while helping developers and creators reach a wider audience for their apps and content.

Since it began operations in 2016, UPI has now been adopted by most apps and services as one of the approved payment methods, which also includes Google's own digital payment app Google Pay (formerly known as Google Tez).