POP has launched biometric authentication for UPI transactions, replacing the traditional 6-digit UPI PIN with fingerprint or Face ID verification for payments up to Rs 5,000. The feature is fully available on Android devices and is being rolled out gradually on iOS.
The launch addresses a key friction point in digital payments, with POP’s internal data showing that around one in every hundred transactions failed during the authentication stage. As UPI adoption continues to grow, authentication-related issues such as incorrect PIN entries, selecting the wrong bank account and transaction abandonment under time pressure have become a significant source of payment failures.
The biometric authentication feature eliminates these challenges by allowing users to authorise payments through a simple fingerprint scan or Face ID verification. Instead of entering a PIN after scanning a QR code, users receive a biometric prompt on their device, enabling payment approval with a single touch.
According to the company, the feature covers more than 90 per cent of transactions conducted on the platform, as the NPCI threshold for biometric UPI authentication applies to payments up to Rs 5,000. Transactions above this limit will continue to require UPI PIN verification.
Since its introduction, nearly 10,000 users have enabled biometric authentication on at least one linked payment instrument, with adoption driven primarily through organic user discovery.
Commenting on the launch, Bhargav Errangi, Founder, POP, said, “India addressed digital payments infrastructure long ago, with real-time settlement, interoperability, and merchant acceptance, the successes of UPI. The remaining challenge is the user experience. The UPI PIN, once essential, now causes friction, accounting for one in a hundred payment failures due to PIN errors rather than fraud or connectivity issues. Biometric authentication, like fingerprint unlocking your phone, is faster and more secure than knowledge-based methods, and should unify payment authorization with phone unlocking.”
POP emphasised that biometric authentication strengthens payment security rather than reducing it. Biometric data is processed entirely within the device’s secure operating environment and is never transmitted to POP’s servers. The UPI PIN remains available as a fallback option whenever biometric verification is unavailable.
The feature supports Scan and Pay, peer-to-peer transfers, peer-to-merchant transactions and balance checks across linked bank accounts. Users can activate biometric authentication through the app’s Scan and Pay flow or the Everything UPI section with a single consent process.
POP views the rollout as a foundational enhancement that could enable future capabilities such as biometric-gated mandates and consent-based UPI Lite auto top-ups, further streamlining digital payment experiences.
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