Google announced that it is adding the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Autopay payment method to its app marketplace in India for subscription-based purchases.
After changes to automatic payments in India were made by RBI (Reserve Bank of India) regulations, UPI Autopay would enable users to make recurring payments using any UPI application that supports the feature, streamlining the process of setting up subscriptions.
“With the introduction of UPI Autopay on the platform, we aim to extend the convenience of UPI to subscription-based purchases, helping many more people access helpful and delightful services–while enabling local developers to grow their subscription-based businesses on Google Play,” Saurabh Agarwal, Head of Google Play Retail and Payments Activation – India, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand said in a media statement.
After users select a subscription plan to purchase on Google Play, the UPI Autopay option streamlines the payment process. They only need to tap on the payment method in the cart, choose “Pay with UPI,” and then confirm the purchase in a UPI app that supports their bank.
The National Payments Corporation of India launched UPI Autopay as part of UPI 2.0 (NPCI). In addition, in India, the UPI payment option was launched on Google Play in 2019.
“We have invested in our commerce platform to add popular and effective forms of payment around the world to ensure people can pay for apps and in-app content conveniently,” Agarwal noted in a blog post. He added that Google Play helps consumers transact in more than 170 markets. “We have also been focused on removing complexities associated with finding and integrating local payments, including access to over 300 local payment methods supported in more than 60 countries.”
After receiving two consecutive financial penalties totaling Rs 2,274 crore from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for abusing its dominant position regarding its Play Store policies and engaging in anti-competitive practices concerning the licensing of its Android Operating System (OS) and proprietary mobile applications, Google made its announcement.
