NPCI BHIM Services Limited (NBSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has officially launched biometric authentication for its BHIM Payments App.
Available for both iOS and Android devices, the new feature allows users to approve Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions using their smartphone’s built-in fingerprint or facial recognition technology. The biometric approval is capped at transactions up to ₹5,000, and is specifically designed to make everyday payments—such as sending money to friends, scanning merchant QR codes, and completing online purchases—quicker, simpler, and more secure.
Solving the PIN Problem
By enabling biometric approvals, BHIM aims to significantly reduce the friction associated with manually entering a UPI PIN for every single transaction. This is particularly helpful in high-paced situations where users might forget their PIN or enter it incorrectly, which frequently leads to failed payments and user frustration.
Executive Insight
Lalitha Nataraj, MD & CEO of NBSL, highlighted the company’s ongoing focus on user-centric design and accessibility.
“BHIM Payments App has always focused on making digital payments simple, secure and accessible for every Indian,” Nataraj stated. “With biometric authentication, we are making everyday payments easier while strengthening trust in how they are approved.”
Nataraj added: “By enabling users to confirm transactions through their fingerprint or face unlock, we are reducing reliance on PIN entry while keeping payments closely tied to the user. This is another step towards building a seamless and dependable digital payments experience for millions of Indians.”
Enhanced Security and Implementation
Beyond convenience, biometric authentication adds a robust layer of security to the payment experience. Because fingerprints and facial data are entirely unique to each individual and are stored locally on the user’s device, payments remain closely linked to the user’s verified identity. This effectively mitigates common risks such as PIN sharing, shoulder surfing, or incorrect entry.
To maintain maximum protection for higher-value transfers, transactions exceeding the ₹5,000 threshold will continue to require traditional UPI PIN authentication.
To enable the new feature, users can follow a simple setup process within the app:
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Open the BHIM Payments App.
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Navigate to the Profile section.
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Select the linked bank account.
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Toggle and activate Biometric Transactions.
