Google Pay UPI Circle: Google Pay has officially launched its ‘Pocket Money’ feature, powered by the UPI Circle framework, enabling digital payments for individuals who do not possess a personal bank account. This development is designed to assist parents, guardians, and employers in managing the financial needs of dependents, such as children or domestic staff, through a controlled and secure digital environment.
Under this system, an existing Google Pay user acts as the ‘Primary User,’ while the recipient is added as a ‘Secondary User.’ The feature allows the secondary user to initiate transactions that are either pre-authorized within a set limit or require real-time approval from the primary account holder.
Control and Customization for Primary Users
The primary user maintains absolute authority over the linked accounts. There are two distinct methods for managing transactions:
Full Delegation: The primary user can set a monthly spending limit of up to ₹15,000. Within this cap, the secondary user can make payments independently without requiring individual approvals for every transaction.
Partial Delegation: In this mode, every transaction initiated by the secondary user must be approved by the primary user in real-time before the money is debited from the bank account.
Eligibility and Prerequisites
To utilize the UPI Circle feature, certain technical and security criteria must be met:
- The primary user must have an active UPI-linked bank account on Google Pay.
- A maximum of five secondary users can be added to a single UPI Circle.
- Secondary users must have the Google Pay app installed and registered with their mobile number.
- The secondary user’s contact number must be saved in the primary user’s phonebook.
- The secondary user must possess a valid UPI ID or a UPI Circle QR code.
Step-by-Step Setup Guide
Setting up the ‘Pocket Money’ feature is a streamlined process within the app:
- Open the Google Pay app and navigate to the UPI Circle section, usually found on the home screen or under profile settings.
- Search for and select the Secondary User from your contact list.
- Scan the secondary user’s UPI Circle QR code and proceed to approval settings.
- Choose between “Approve every payment” or “Set a monthly limit.”
- Provide additional details, including your relationship with the user and their government-issued ID number.
- Select the bank account to be used for these transactions and click Invite.
- Enter your UPI PIN to authorize and send the invitation.
Once the secondary user accepts the invite, they can begin making digital payments directly from the primary user’s linked account within the established parameters.
