As UPI apps like Google Pay and PhonePe broaden their services beyond simple transfers, users are increasingly selective about their utility, prioritising core features over add-ons like bill payments and investments.
For many users, UPI apps have become more than simple payment tools. On the Team-BHP forum, one member said they rely on Google Pay and PhonePe mainly for UPI transactions and mobile recharges, while also asking whether others use the broader services now bundled into such apps. The discussion reflects how these platforms have expanded from basic peer-to-peer transfers into everyday financial utilities.
PhonePe, for example, positions itself as a wider digital payments platform rather than a single-purpose wallet. Its services include instant transfers, bill payments, mobile recharges, linked bank accounts and features such as UPI Circle, which lets users delegate payments to trusted contacts, as well as UPI Lite for low-value transactions without entering a PIN, according to the company’s website. The app listing in Google Play also says users can buy insurance, invest in mutual funds and purchase digital gold through the platform.
Google Pay is also used well beyond sending money between bank accounts. According to information available on Google’s app ecosystem and public product descriptions, the service supports peer-to-peer transfers, QR-code payments, bill payments and in-store transactions, while its history in India dates back to Tez before the rebrand to Google Pay. In practice, that makes it one of several apps that have turned UPI into an all-purpose payments layer rather than just a transfer mechanism.
Even so, some users are cutting back on optional add-ons. In the Team-BHP discussion, one participant said they had stopped using UPI apps for recharges after noticing convenience fees and because telecom apps sometimes offer the same service more cheaply. That reflects a broader pattern in India’s digital payments market: as the core UPI service has become routine, users are becoming more selective about which extra features are genuinely useful and which simply add another fee or a thinner rewards scheme.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
