UPI Online Casinos

Introduction

India is becoming one of the leading forces in the online gambling industry, with millions of players frequently enjoying online casino games across hundreds of sites, and most of those sites offer UPI, to allow them to get an all-encompassing experience. Being a local instant payment system, the solution allows Indian users across international online casinos to make the most convenient deposits and withdrawals. It has been designed with the purpose of facilitating the way Indians transact online, and that’s why it offers them access to a variety of banking functionalities and services to use. That’s the reason why it is used by every second, if not every single Indian for everyday purchases and payments online. Inevitably, being as accessible and popular with users as it is, it has found its way across the online gambling industry. Most, if not all, sites that cater to Indian players offer it, so if you wish to start using it, too, stay with us to learn all about it. What is UPI and why choose it as your payment method across Indian casinos?

About UPI

After seeing how desperate Indian citizens were for a payment method that would allow them to transact online seamlessly, NPCI (the National Payment Corporation in India), created UPI (Unified Payments Interface), an instant payment system that allows all Indians to send and receive money online using multiple banking functionalities and services. Offering a suite of banking options, the system works in collaboration with major Indian banks, and with that, allows users to link several of their bank accounts with the same or different bank into one single app and use multiple banking options in just a few taps on their mobile devices.

At the time it launched, several similar solutions existed already, like IMPS, but NPCI wanted to offer a more advanced and modern solution. That's why it used IMPS' already well-established infrastructure and built UPI over it, modifying it and improving its functionalities to offer users all-encompassing, safe, and convenient online banking. So, the Corporation launched a pilot program signed by the RBI, Governor Dr. Raghuram G Rajan. The launch was in Mumbai, and the pilot program involved the enablement of the UPI system on the mobile apps of 21 leading member banks. This happened on the 1^st of April, 2016, and by the 25^th of August, the app was available on Google Play Store. Ever since, the solution has been offered as a functionality by these member banks, since the pilot program was an immense success, and millions of users are using it for their payments and purchases online every single day.

The app is free to download on Google Play Store, so that’s the first step you need to do to get started with it. Since you can link different bank accounts to it, and use it 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to send and receive money in an instant with a few taps on your mobile device, you’ll have access to your funds whenever you need. That’s one of the many reasons why the solution is so popular with Indian users. That, and the fact that it is incredibly safe to use.

In fact, it follows the Regulatory Guidelines and authenticates each transaction with the Click2Factor Authentication. To add to that, you never have to share any credit or debit card, not even your bank account numbers, with the eCommerce site you need to pay at. Once you create an account with it, you get a virtual address and that’s the only thing you share upon transactions. This is one of the main reasons why Indians are choosing it over any other method for online casino deposits and withdrawals.

Actually, its popularity across the online gambling industry is unrivaled, as you will find it across most if not all, Indian-catering international online casinos. The solution got even more popular with players when India was facing a possible new restriction on gambling with cryptocurrencies, and it never ceased to appear across new Indian-facing casinos. The fact that with it Indians can use their native currency and use so many banking services and functionalities makes it perfect for online gambling use, so continue reading to figure out the steps you need to take to get started with it.

How to Start Using UPI?

You already learned the first step you need to take to get started with it, and that’s to download its app on Google Play Store. But before you do, make sure you’re meeting the conditions to use it. The first one is, of course, to be an Indian citizen, and the second is to have an active bank account. You can have one or more accounts, with different banks, but assuming you do, you are good to go.

Now, after you download and install the app on your smartphone, fill out the registration form. Your mobile phone number and full name would suffice to get your Virtual ID. As said previously, this is the payment address you’ll use whenever transacting with it. Next, create your password and with that, you can start adding bank accounts. Press the Add/Manage/Link Bank Account button and enter the bank account number(s) you wish to link to your app, ergo Virtual ID.

The next step is out of security reasons, so you’ll be asked to change the existing test PIN and create a unique one to use further on. After you do that, you will receive a notification on your phone from your bank(s) with the OTP(s) you'll need to keep safe. Finally, you'd need to enter the last 6 digits of your debit card and its expiry date, and you'll be prompted to enter the OTP(s), before pressing Submit. A final notification will arrive on whether your changes were approved or declined, but as long as you've followed these steps in detail, you'll surely get your approval.

With that, you will instantly become eligible to start using your Virtual ID for all kinds of online payments and purchases, online casino deposits and withdrawals included. Now, let’s go over the actual steps you’d need to make to start using the solution across the many Indian casinos that accept it.

Depositing and Withdrawing with the Solution

Dafabet, BitCasino, and Pairadice are just some of the excellent, top-ranked casinos that accept Indian players, listed and reviewed here at WCD, but you will certainly find many more to explore, hundreds really, so roll up your sleeves and start searching for the site that would suit you most to join.

The minute you decide on one, register a player account with it. From here, to make a deposit with UPI, do the following:

1. Log into your player account and look for the Banking page.
2. Find UPI’s logo on the list of Deposit Methods and press it.
3. Access your app and select Send Money/Payment.
4. Contact the casino’s Support team to ask for its Virtual ID address and enter it.
5. An SMS confirmation will arrive on your phone, prompting you to press Confirm.
6. Enter your PIN and you will see the money arriving in your casino balance instantly.

Since it is an option for withdrawals, to request a withdrawal with UPI, enter your app and select Collect Money/Request for Payment. Enter your Virtual ID and specify how much you wish to cash out. The casino will receive a notification of your request as soon as you confirm it. Using its PIN, the casino will approve the request and authorize the transaction, assuming you have enough to cash out. Both you and the operator will receive an SMS confirmation from your banks, respectively, informing you that the transaction was successful.

Coverage and Restrictions

Having read what you have so far, it is probably clear as day to you that UPI is only offered in India. You won’t be able to use it unless you’re an Indian citizen.

What’s more, you must have an active bank account with one of the member banks, one or more, in order to be eligible to use it. So, if you’re not meeting these essential criteria, make sure you start looking for an alternative to use.

Fees and Additional Charges

Given the fact that it was designed to facilitate Indian citizens' online banking experience, and is backed up by major Indian banks in collaboration with NPCI, you can rest assured that UPI is one of the most inexpensive payment solutions in India.

While it charges no fees whatsoever itself, the banks involved in the process do. These fees are usually symbolic, to cover basic transfer costs, but they do depend on the services and functionalities you're using, so make sure you get in touch with your bank to figure out more about them.

Accepted Currencies

Considering it is a solution that can only be used in India, it should come as no surprise to learn that the only currency you can use when using UPI is the Indian rupee.

This goes to your advantage, especially if you've joined a casino that allows you to select the rupee as the default currency, since that way, you'll avoid the conversion fees. But if that's not the case, and your bank allows you to hold foreign currencies on your bank account, at the cost of a conversion fee, you actually may be able to use foreign currencies. Make sure you discuss this with your bank first, though.

Customer Support

You will see that NPCI has an entire page on UPI, as well as a detailed history review and step-by-step instructions on how to use it. But, in case you need help with something, do not hesitate to get in touch with NPCI’s Customer Support agents.

They are at your disposal via several different phone lines and an on-site contact form, so choose the way it suits you to get in contact and receive your answers. You can, of course, also get in touch with your bank’s or casino’s Support agents, in case your questions are regarding the deposits/withdrawals with the solution.

Conclusion

Rare are local solutions like UPI for Indian players across online casinos, so whenever you find a casino site that offers it, make sure you stick with it. This solution will change your entire online gambling experience for the better, as not only is it incredibly popular across casinos that cater to Indian players, but it allows you to make both deposits AND withdrawals in your native currency, too. As such, it is really convenient to use, not to mention incredibly easy to get started with, so make sure you do, the first chance you get.

FAQs

Is there an official website where I could find out more about UPI?

No, not really, there’s no official website for the solution. Considering it is like a functionality offered by banks in collaboration with NPCI, if you wish to find out more about it, explore NPCI’s official website or get in touch with your bank.

Is UPI on social media?

UPI may not be, really, but NPCI is, and you will find its profiles on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn, where you can get more info on the solution whenever NPCI posts something about it.

Is it possible to link a wallet to the app?

If you have an account with a Prepaid Payment Instrument, you can link it, sure. Previously, this was not an option, so you could only link bank accounts, but as of recently, you can link PPI wallets, too.

Is UPI an option for deposits across online casinos during weekends?

Sure thing! The solution processes transactions anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so you can rest assured that you’ll be able to make a deposit during weekends and public holidays even!

Is it possible to review previous transactions I made with the solution?

Of course. You just need to access your app and find the Transaction History button on the Home screen. Press it and you will see all your past or/and pending transactions displayed.