Pocket Money on UPI Circle

You can assist your loved ones to make UPI payments with Pocket Money on UPI Circle in Google Pay. This payment method doesn’t require them to have their own bank account.

How Pocket Money on UPI Circle works

As an existing UPI user in Google Pay, you’re a Primary user and you can add family members, friends, or employees. They become a Secondary user to your UPI Circle.

• Primary user: Person who pays on behalf of the Secondary user with their bank account.
• Secondary user: Person who makes UPI payments using the Primary user’s bank account.

What you need to set up Pocket Money on UPI Circle

• To be a Primary user, you must have an active bank account in Google Pay.
• You can add a maximum of 5 Secondary users.
• To add a secondary user to your UPI circle, please ensure:
  • Their number is saved in your phone contacts.
  • They have the Google Pay app that's registered with their phone number.
  • They have a UPI ID or a UPI Circle QR.

How to set up pocket money on UPI Circle

How to manage secondary user’s payments

As a Primary user, you can set transaction limits and payment authorization. Select between full or partial delegation in UPI Circle:

• Set a monthly limit (full delegation): You can set a monthly limit of up to ₹15,000 for Secondary users. They can use your bank account to make payments within the set limit without your approval.
• Approve every payment (partial delegation): Secondary users must send you a request for each payment. You must approve to pay on their behalf.

Set up Pocket Money on UPI Circle

Important: Before you set up Pocket Money for your secondary user, you must allow Google Pay to access your phone contacts.

• Open the Google Pay app .
• At the top right, tap your Profile picture.
• Scroll to select UPI Circle Set up pocket money on UPI Circle.
• Enter the secondary user’s name or phone number.
• Select the secondary user’s UPI ID and click Confirm.
  • If the secondary user’s UPI ID isn’t available, scan the secondary user’s UPI Circle QR code.
• To set up approval settings:

If you’ve selected “Set a monthly limit":

• Tap Continue.
• Set a preferred monthly limit.
• Add additional details for a Secondary user.
  • Choose the secondary user’s relationship with you.
  • Enter secondary user’s government ID number.
  • Tap Continue.
• Select the bank account with which you want to set up Pocket Money.
• Tap Send invite and then enter your UPI PIN.

If you’ve selected “Approve every payment”:

• Tap Continue Yes, send invite.

Verify the secondary user

After you set a monthly limit, you need to verify the secondary user so they can make a payment.

1. Confirm the secondary user's relationship to you.
2. Select a government ID:
   • Choose ID type.
   • Enter ID number.
   • Tap Continue.

Tip: Your bank uses the secondary user’s name, mobile number, ID type, and ID number to verify their identity as per the Master Direction Know Your Customer (KYC) Direction, 2016.

Create UPI ID or UPI Circle QR code for the secondary user

Important: Make sure the secondary user has the Google Pay app that’s registered with their phone number.

To generate a UPI ID or UPI circle QR code, the secondary user should follow the below steps:

1. On the secondary user's mobile phone, open the Google Pay app .
2. Tap Profile UPI Circle Request someone to set up.
3. Tap Continue.
   • A UPI ID and UPI circle QR code will be generated. The Secondary user can share the QR code with the Primary user.

Tips:

• If a QR code doesn’t appear, follow the on-screen instructions.
• The Secondary user will be asked to set up an app lock if not yet created.
• There's a cool-off period of 30 minutes before the Secondary user can start to make UPI payments.

Use pocket money on UPI Circle to make payments

Set a monthly limit (full delegation)

Secondary user makes a payment

For merchant payments:

1. Scan the merchant’s QR code or search for a phone number.
2. Enter the amount.
3. Pay with the Primary user’s UPI Circle.
   • If successful, the Primary user receives the notification.

For online payments:

1. On the merchant’s website, select UPI GPay.
2. On the Google Pay app, under "Choose account to pay with," select UPI Circle.
3. Pay with the Primary user’s UPI Circle.
   • If successful, the Primary user receives the notification.

Approve every payment (partial delegation)

Step 1: Secondary user sends Primary user a payment request

For merchant payments:

1. Scan the merchant’s QR code or phone number.
2. Enter the amount.
3. Select Request to pay.

For online payments:

1. On the merchant’s website, select UPI GPay.
2. On the Google Pay app, under "Choose account to pay with," select UPI Circle.
3. Select Request to pay.

Tips:

• To get faster approval from the Primary user, the Secondary user can leave a note about the details of the payment.
• In the UPI Circle page, after the request is sent, the Secondary user can track the live status of the payment request.

Step 2: Make a payment on behalf of the Secondary user

To complete the payment:

1. Open the request.
   • If your phone is locked, you need to unlock it.
2. Tap Continue to pay.
3. Select a bank account.
4. Tap Pay ₹{Amount}.
5. Enter the UPI PIN.
   • If successful, the screen shows that the payment is complete.

Tip: The Primary user must accept the payment request from the Secondary user within 10 minutes.

Remove a Secondary user

On your mobile device, open the Google Pay app .

1. Tap Profile picture UPI Circle.
2. Under “You pay for,” find the Secondary user to remove.
3. Tap More Remove.
4. To confirm, tap Yes, Remove.
   • The screen shows that the Secondary user was removed from the Primary user’s UPI Circle.

Commonly asked questions

What happens if I tap the handshake symbol in my Google Pay app?

Tapping the handshake symbol opens the Pocket Money (UPI Circle) setup page. It allows you to explore the feature and understand how it works. Tapping the icon does not trigger any kind of debit. To start using it, the primary user must explicitly invite a contact already saved in their phone contacts. Only after the user sets a "Spend Limit" or chooses an approval mode for every transaction request will any transaction capability be active.

Is the "Pocket Money" feature safe?

Yes. Pocket Money is a verified Google Pay feature built on UPI Circle in partnership with NPCI and is protected by Google’s world-class security infrastructure. To start using it, the primary user must explicitly invite a contact already saved in their phone contacts. Only after the user sets a "Spend Limit" or chooses an approval mode for every transaction request will any transaction capability be active.

Can I set up Pocket Money for someone without a bank account

Yes, if the secondary user does not have a bank account or UPI ID, ask them to go their profile on Google Pay and follow these steps:

1. Open the Google Pay app .
2. At the top right, tap your Profile picture.
3. Tap UPI Circle Request someone to set up.
4. Tap ‘Continue’.
   • A QR code and UPI ID will be generated for the secondary user.

Is there any cooling period to make transactions?

To keep things secure, some initial limits apply after you add a secondary user:

• If you’ve selected “Set a monthly limit” for the secondary user, they need to wait for 30 minutes to make their first payment.
• If you’ve selected “Approve every payment”, they can only request up to ₹5,000 in the first 24 hours..

Can a Secondary user be part of multiple UPI Circles?

No, a Secondary user can only be part of one UPI Circle at a time.

Supported payment types for pocket money on UPI Circle

You can pay through QR scans, contacts, phone number, UPI ID, and online payments. Other types of payments like bill payments, and mobile recharges will be available soon on UPI Circle.

How can I track my payment?

All UPI Circle payments are available on payment details, transaction history, and conversation pages of both Primary and Secondary user’s Google Pay app.

What payment types aren’t supported by UPI Circle?

Payments made on UPI Lite, bill payments, and recharges aren’t currently supported. These options may become available.

Secondary user missed the notification to join

1. To find the request to join, tap Profile UPI circle Paying for you.
2. Tap Accept the request.

Tip: The request is live for 30 minutes. After this, the Primary user sends a fresh invite.

Why can't I see my secondary user in the contact list?

Make sure you’ve granted Google Pay permission to access your phone contacts.

To grant access on Android device:

1. On your device, click Settings Security & Privacy.
2. Under the “Privacy” section, tap Privacy controls Permission manager Contacts and accounts.
3. Under the “Not allowed” section, tap Google Pay Allow.

To grant access on iOS device:

1. On your device, click Settings Apps Google Pay.

Under the “Contacts” section, tap Provide full Access.

How to add a secondary user using UPI ID?

When you select a contact, Google Pay automatically finds their UPI ID for you to confirm. Alternatively, you can also scan their QR code to add them.

Why am I getting the “Your existing UPI ID is not eligible for UPI circle” error?

Important: To use UPI Circle, the primary user needs to have an @okaxis UPI ID linked to the bank account with which they want to set up UPI circle. To generate an @okaxis UPI ID, Primary user should follow below steps :

1. Open the Google Pay app .
2. At the top right, tap Profile picture.
3. Under the "Payment methods," tap Bank account.
4. Select the bank account to be used for setting UPI circle.
5. Tap 3/3 UPI IDs added and look for an ID ending in @okaxis.
   • For example, “abc@okaxis”.
6. Next to the ID ending in @okaxis, tap Add .

Why am I getting a "Add a supported bank account" error when adding contact?

UPI Circle is currently available for select banks only. None of your added bank accounts are live with UPI circle. To find the list of eligible banks, scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Why is my bank not listed in the selection list?

UPI Circle is currently available for select banks only. To find the list of eligible banks, scroll down to the bottom of this page.

Why can’t I edit or remove the monthly transaction limit on UPI Circle?

To edit or remove the limit, you have to delete the relationship and set it up again with the revised limit.

We're currently working on the feature to let you adjust your monthly limits.