Paytm COVID-19 Vaccine Finder Allows Users to Search for Nearby Centres, Get Notified When Slots Open

Paytm app has got a new tool that will help users find available slots for COVID-19 vaccines in their area. The COVID-19 Vaccine Slot Finder tool has been rolled out to Paytm apps for both Android and iOS devices, as per Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma on Twitter. The tool takes real-time data from CoWIN, which is India's COVID-19 vaccination programme and stands for Covid Vaccine Intelligence Network. It is an alternative to the Co-WIN Vaccinator App and website that also provide the same information.

Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma took to Twitter to share that the new feature in the Paytm app called COVID-19 Vaccine Slot Finder will help users find slots at vaccination centres in their area. Users can enter their pin code or district to check for availability at nearby centres and also get a notification when slots become available.

There are options for 18+ and 45+ age groups, and the Vaccine Slot Finder can show available slots for the next four weeks. If there are no slots available, users can choose to be notified by Paytm Chat when a slot opens up. If a slot is available, users can select a date and will be taken to the Co-WIN website/ app to book their appointment. The Paytm Vaccine Slot Finder fetches real-time data about availability of slots from the CoWIN platform, but it cannot be used to book appointments.

Here are the steps to check available COVID-19 vaccine slots from Paytm app:

1. Open Paytm app on Android or iOS device.
2. Scroll down to Mini App Store section.
3. You should see the Vaccine Finder option here.
4. If not, tap on All and then tap on the COVID-19 Vaccination Appointment banner. Alternatively, you can also find Vaccine Finder option under Discover with Paytm.
5. Enter your pin code/ district, and select between 18+ and 45+ age groups.
6. Click on Check Availability to see open slots.
7. You can also click on 'Notify me when slots are available' option as well to get alerts for open slots.

A programmer raised an interesting point in the comments of Sharma's post that since the data shown in the Paytm Vaccine Slot Finder is taken from CoWIN, it may also be delayed by up to 30 minutes as the appointment availability data on CoWIN itself is cached and may be up to 30 minutes old, according to its website.

Paytm app is available for free on Google Play store and App Store.

Disclosure: Paytm's parent company One97 is an investor in Gadgets 360.