5 Ways to Use the BHIM App for UPI Payments in 2025

This guide explains five practical ways to use the BHIM app for UPI payments and the safety check that belongs with each one. Menus and feature availability can change with the app version, bank, account, device, and current UPI rules. Treat the official BHIM screen and your bank's current support information as the final instructions when they differ from an older screenshot.

The five uses are sending to a known person, scanning a merchant QR, paying on a supported website or app, requesting or receiving money, and checking or managing transactions. None requires you to share a UPI PIN, one-time password, card details, or screen access with another person.

Understand what BHIM and UPI do

BHIM stands for Bharat Interface for Money. It is a payment application built on UPI. The official BHIM overview says it supports direct bank payments to a UPI user through a UPI ID or QR code and can also request money from a UPI ID.

BHIM is not a stored-value wallet. A linked bank account remains the source or destination for ordinary UPI transfers. Your bank and the UPI system must be available for a transaction to complete.

Several identifiers appear during setup and payment:

• The app passcode protects access to the BHIM app on that device.
• A UPI ID, also called a virtual payment address, identifies an account for UPI transactions.
• A UPI PIN authorizes an eligible debit from a linked bank account.
• A transaction reference helps identify a completed, pending, or failed payment.

Do not treat these as interchangeable. You may type a UPI ID when choosing a recipient. You enter your UPI PIN only inside the trusted payment flow when authorizing a debit or approved request. You do not enter a UPI PIN to receive money.

Prepare BHIM on a trusted phone

Download BHIM only from the official app listing reached through the BHIM website or your device's trusted app store. Check the publisher, app name, recent update information, and requested permissions. Avoid download links sent by unknown callers or messages.

Use the mobile number registered with the bank account you want to link. Keep the relevant SIM active in the phone during registration. The official BHIM usage page describes selecting the registered SIM, creating an app passcode, linking a bank account, and setting a UPI PIN through the supported bank verification process.

Complete setup privately. Do not share the app passcode, UPI PIN, card verification details, or SMS codes. A bank or support representative does not need to know the UPI PIN. NPCI's current UPI information states that the UPI app does not store or read UPI PIN details and bank support will not ask for that PIN.

Review the linked bank account before making a payment. If several accounts appear, identify the intended one and set the default only when you understand how the app will use it. Enable device screen lock and transaction alerts. Update the phone and BHIM through the trusted app store before troubleshooting an unusual menu or error.

Way 1: send money to a known UPI ID or mobile number

Use direct send when you know the recipient and can confirm the identifier with them. Open BHIM, choose the send option, and enter the UPI ID or another supported identifier shown by the current app. The official BHIM site currently describes sending or requesting through a mobile number or UPI ID and paying UPI users through a virtual payment address.

Before entering an amount, inspect the verified recipient name returned by the app. A UPI ID can be mistyped, copied with an extra character, or replaced in a compromised message. The name check is more useful than recognizing only the handle. If the displayed name is unexpected, cancel and ask the recipient to resend the identifier through a trusted channel.

Enter the amount and a short remark that will help both parties understand the transfer. Review the source account, recipient, and amount on the final screen. Enter the UPI PIN only after those details are correct.

After authorization, wait for the app to show a final status. Save the reference when the payment is important. Do not immediately send a second transfer when the first one remains pending. Check the transaction history and linked bank account first.

A safe direct-payment routine is:

1. Confirm the recipient independently.
2. Enter or paste the correct UPI ID or supported mobile identifier.
3. Match the verified name with the intended person.
4. Review amount and source account.
5. Authorize once inside BHIM.
6. Check the final status and reference.

For more help with creating and reviewing a UPI identifier, see the Tutorils guide to creating a UPI ID safely.

Way 2: scan a merchant or person's UPI QR code

Scan and Pay removes the need to type a UPI ID, but it does not remove the need to verify the receiver. Open the scanner from the trusted BHIM app and scan the code at the counter, invoice, or recipient's device. BHIM's official feature page says the app can pay by scanning the receiver's UPI QR and can share a user's own QR for incoming payments.

Read the recipient or merchant name shown after the scan. A sticker can be placed over a genuine code, a screenshot can show an old account, and two counters can display similar codes. Ask the merchant when the name does not match the business or person you expect.

If the amount is not fixed by the code, enter it carefully. Read the decimal and currency before confirming. Do not let another person take the phone to type the amount or PIN. Shield the screen while entering the UPI PIN.

Wait for the transaction status on your own phone. A sound box, merchant message, or screenshot is not a substitute for the result shown in BHIM and the bank record. If a merchant says payment was not received while your app shows success, give the reference number and follow the merchant's reconciliation or BHIM dispute process. Do not pay twice without checking.

For a QR received as an image, use only the upload or gallery option provided by the current BHIM app. Confirm why the code was sent and verify the name before paying. A QR code is not proof that the sender is a legitimate business.

Way 3: pay on a supported website or app

An online checkout may offer UPI or BHIM as a payment method. Begin on the merchant's official website or app, review the order, delivery information, refund terms, and final amount, then choose the supported UPI route.

The flow may open BHIM through an app handoff or present a payment request. Check that the amount and merchant identity in BHIM match the checkout you started. Decline a request that arrives without a purchase you recognize.

Use the UPI PIN only inside BHIM to approve the debit. Do not type it into a merchant web page, chat, remote-support tool, or form sent through a link. A seller does not need your PIN to issue a refund. To receive a legitimate refund, the merchant normally returns money through its payment process. A request asking you to enter a PIN is asking you to authorize money leaving the account.

After authorization, return to the merchant only through the normal app or browser flow. Keep both the order reference and UPI transaction reference. A successful debit does not always mean the merchant created an order. If the checkout fails, check the merchant account, BHIM history, and bank alerts before trying again.

Avoid shopping or approving payments on open public Wi-Fi. Do not install an app or enable screen sharing because a caller claims it is needed to complete or reverse a payment. The Tutorils guide to protecting yourself from online payment scams explains how remote-access, fake-support, refund, and urgent-payment scams work.

Way 4: request money or receive through your QR

BHIM can request money from a UPI ID where that feature is available. Enter the known payer's UPI ID, amount, and a clear note. Tell the payer why the request is coming so they can recognize it. The payer remains responsible for reviewing and approving or declining the request.

Use requests only with people who expect them. An unexpected collect request is a common source of confusion and can be used in fraud attempts. Never describe approval as a way to receive money. The person who enters a UPI PIN is authorizing a debit from their account.

You can also receive through the personal QR shown in the BHIM profile. Share the QR or UPI ID only with the person who needs to pay. Confirm the money through BHIM history and the bank account, not through an image of a payment screen sent by the payer.

When selling an item or providing a service, do not release goods merely because someone displays a success animation on their phone. Verify the credit in your own account. A delayed alert can happen, so use the transaction history or bank channel rather than asking the buyer to perform another payment immediately.

Do not publish a personal QR together with phone numbers, addresses, identity documents, or other unnecessary information. A UPI ID is designed to receive or identify transfers, but public exposure can also attract spam requests and social-engineering attempts.

Way 5: check balances, transactions, accounts, and disputes

The fifth use is payment management. BHIM's official feature page says its transaction history can be downloaded and filtered, disputes can be raised for failed or pending transactions, and users can manage multiple linked bank accounts and UPI PIN functions where supported.

Check transaction status before taking action. Common labels include success, pending, and failed. The exact wording and resolution process may differ. A success should have a reference and appear against the linked bank account. A pending payment needs time and a status check. A failed payment may still require you to confirm whether the bank account was debited.

When raising a dispute, use the transaction record inside BHIM or the current official support channel. Describe the problem accurately and keep the reference, date, amount, recipient, screenshots that do not expose credentials, and complaint number. Never post a UPI PIN, OTP, full card number, or private bank statement on a public forum.

Report an unauthorized transaction to the bank immediately through its official channel. RBI's customer-protection directions explain that prompt reporting matters and that banks must provide channels for reporting unauthorized electronic banking transactions. The applicable liability depends on the circumstances and current bank policy, so do not assume a guaranteed refund from a generic guide.

If ordinary support does not resolve an eligible complaint, use the escalation path shown by the bank, BHIM, NPCI, or RBI Ombudsman as appropriate. Keep the complaint history rather than opening many unrelated tickets.

Separate a payment request from a request to receive money

This distinction prevents many UPI scams. Receiving money does not require you to enter a UPI PIN. Entering the PIN approves a debit or another authorized action shown on the confirmation screen.

Treat these phrases as warning signs:

• "Approve this request to receive your refund."
• "Enter the PIN so I can verify your account."
• "Install this support app so we can reverse the charge."
• "Share the OTP because the payment is stuck."
• "Scan this QR to receive prize money."

Cancel the flow, open BHIM directly, and contact the bank or merchant through a verified number. RBI's digital-banking safeguards say never to share a password, PIN, OTP, CVV, or UPI PIN. The Tutorils guide to protecting UPI payments from scams provides a focused checklist for collect requests, QR codes, and impersonation.

Check every confirmation screen

A payment confirmation is the last practical opportunity to stop a mistake. Read the receiver, amount, source account, and reason before entering the UPI PIN. Do not approve from habit because the screen arrived while speaking to someone.

Keep the phone in your possession. A genuine merchant can tell you the amount and show a QR without touching the device. A support agent can explain navigation without seeing your screen, hearing an OTP, or controlling the phone.

If the app displays a warning, read it. Do not continue simply because the other person says the warning is normal. Cancel when the requested action differs from the task you intended.

Handle failed, pending, and duplicate-looking payments

First, identify the exact status in BHIM and the bank account. Do not rely on only an SMS because messages can be delayed or spoofed. Record the transaction reference and time.

For a pending payment, wait for the official status to resolve or use the in-app support route. Avoid another payment unless the merchant and transaction records show that it is necessary. For a failed payment with a debit, follow the dispute process tied to that transaction and check the current expected resolution information from BHIM or the bank.

For an apparent duplicate, compare both reference numbers, amounts, times, and recipient names. Contact the merchant and bank through official channels. Do not share credentials to speed up the investigation.

For an unauthorized debit, contact the bank immediately, secure the device and accounts, and use the relevant fraud-reporting channel. Preserve evidence. Do not delete messages, call logs, or the suspicious app until the bank or investigator tells you what is needed, but disconnect remote access and follow official security guidance.

Manage bank accounts and UPI PINs carefully

When BHIM supports several bank accounts, label the intended source mentally before every payment. A default account can change after setup, updates, or user action. Check the final confirmation rather than assuming the same account will always be used.

Change or reset a UPI PIN only through the function in the trusted app and current bank verification process. Do not respond to a caller who claims the PIN is expiring. Choose a PIN that is not an obvious date or repeated pattern, keep it private, and do not store it in an unprotected note.

If the phone or registered SIM is lost, contact the mobile operator and bank promptly through verified channels. Secure the device account, review recent transactions, and follow the bank's steps for disabling access. Do not wait for a suspicious payment before acting.

Avoid outdated limits, charges, and feature claims

UPI limits, bank controls, feature availability, and fees can change. They may also differ by transaction type, bank, merchant category, and regulatory direction. Check the current BHIM app, bank, NPCI, or official circular when a limit matters to the transaction.

Do not plan an urgent high-value payment around a number copied from an old article. Use the current official information and keep another legitimate payment option when a deadline matters.

The same applies to operating-system requirements and supported languages. Use the current app-store listing and BHIM site for device compatibility rather than an old screenshot.

Use a short BHIM safety routine

Before each payment:

1. Start from the trusted BHIM app or merchant checkout.
2. Confirm the recipient or merchant name.
3. Check the amount and linked source account.
4. Understand whether the screen sends or receives money.
5. Enter the UPI PIN privately only to authorize the intended debit.

After each payment:

1. Wait for the final status.
2. Save the reference for important transactions.
3. Verify through your own app or bank record.
4. Avoid an immediate duplicate while the first payment is pending.
5. Report unauthorized activity through official channels at once.

BHIM can simplify everyday bank-to-bank payments when every convenience is paired with verification. Send only to a confirmed identifier, inspect QR recipients, approve online checkout requests you initiated, receive money without entering a PIN, and use the transaction record for disputes. The safest habit is simple: read the confirmation screen as if the transfer cannot be casually reversed, because in many situations it cannot.