How to make payments with Google Pay's UPI Circle: A complete guide

Google Pay recently introduced a new feature called UPI Circle, which allows users to add family members and friends as secondary users to help them make digital payments without needing to link their own bank accounts. This feature was developed in collaboration with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

How does UPI Circle work?

UPI Circle is designed to assist individuals who may not have a bank account or find it inconvenient to manage digital payments. According to Google, it involves two key parties:

Primary user: The individual whose bank account is used for payments. This user can delegate payment responsibilities to a secondary user.

Secondary user: The person who initiates the payment request, which is then authorised by the primary user.

Delegation options

UPI Circle offers two types of delegation:

Full delegation: The primary user sets a monthly limit, up to Rs 15,000, within which the secondary user can make payments independently.

Partial delegation: The primary user retains full control and approves each payment request initiated by the secondary user.

How do you set up UPI Circle?

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up and using UPI Circle:

Adding a secondary user

1. Requirements:

— The primary user must have an active bank account or another payment method linked to Google Pay.

— The secondary user’s mobile number should be saved in the primary user's contact list.

— The secondary user should have a valid UPI ID.

2. Steps:

a. The secondary user opens their UPI app and taps the QR code icon in their profile section.

b. The primary user opens the UPI Circle page by tapping their profile picture or initials.

c. The primary user then scans the secondary user’s QR code or uploads it from their gallery.

d. The primary user sets the delegation type—whether to approve each payment (partial delegation) or set a monthly limit (full delegation).

e. The secondary user accepts the request to finalise the setup.

How to make payments using UPI Circle?

Step 1: Sending a payment request

— The secondary user initiates a payment request by scanning a QR code at a store and adding the payment details.

— The request, along with any additional notes, is sent to the primary user for approval.

Step 2: Approving or making the payment

Partial delegation: The primary user reviews and approves the payment request.

Full delegation: The secondary user makes payments up to the approved monthly limit without needing further approval. The limit is Rs 15,000 per month, with a maximum of Rs 5,000 per transaction.

Step 3: Confirming the payment

— Once the payment is completed, the secondary user sees a success page in their app.

How can you track UPI Circle requests?

Both primary and secondary users can track the status of active UPI Circle requests directly from their profiles or chat heads within the app. This feature ensures that users can keep an eye on their ongoing payment activities.

What are the transaction limits and validity?

Partial delegation: Transaction limits align with the daily UPI limits.

Full delegation: The monthly payment limit is Rs 15,000, with a maximum of Rs 5,000 per transaction.

Payment requests for partial delegation are valid for 10 minutes, while full delegation transactions are processed within the pre-set monthly limit.

Google has provided answers to a few FAQs about UPI Circle:

What's the cool-off period?

After linking, there is a 30-minute cool-off period where no transactions can be made.

Maximum number of users?

A primary user can add up to five secondary users, but a secondary user can only be part of one UPI Circle at a time.

How much time does a secondary user have to accept a primary user’s invitation request?

The invitation request is valid for 30 minutes. If the secondary user doesn’t accept within this time, the primary user will need to send a new request.

Supported payment methods?

UPI Circle supports all UPI payment methods except for UPI Lite.

How to track transactions?

All UPI Circle transactions are recorded in the transaction details, history, and conversation pages, similar to other Google Pay transactions.