Technology and your money: UPI at scale, AI, digital lending and what to watch

UPI has become the default way to pay

India's Unified Payments Interface processed about 24.07 billion transactions worth ₹29.37 lakh crore in September 2026, an average of about 802 million payments a day, according to NPCI data as reported. That is roughly 9,300 payments every second, and an average payment of about ₹1,220.

The convenience is real. So is the fraud surface: the same speed that helps you pay a vendor helps a fraudster move your money. Habits matter more than apps: confirm the name shown before you pay, never enter a PIN to receive money, and keep payment limits sensible.

AI assistants and money

AI chat tools can explain concepts, draft budgets and help you prepare questions. They can also sound confident and be wrong, especially on numbers, tax rules and recent changes. Treat them like a well-read friend, not an adviser: check figures against an official source, never share account numbers, passwords or one-time codes with them, and do not act on investment suggestions you cannot verify.

The same technology powers scams, such as cloned voices that imitate a relative asking for urgent money. A family code word and a call-back to the known number defeat most of them.

Digital lending and instant-loan apps

Apps can make small loans fast. Rules have been tightening around digital lending in India, including requirements that loans come from regulated lenders, that disbursal and repayment go through bank accounts, and that borrowers receive a clear statement of the key facts and costs. Check the lender's regulation status and the current rules before borrowing, never grant access to your contacts or photos, and read our guide on loan-app harassment if an app threatens you.

Sharing your data on your terms

India's Account Aggregator framework lets you share financial data with a lender or adviser, with your consent, through regulated intermediaries. Done well, it can let you get fairer offers. Done carelessly, it can share more than you intended. Read what is requested, for how long, and for what purpose, and withdraw consent when you no longer need it.

Cards, tokens and digital money

Card tokenisation replaces your card number with a token for online payments, so merchants do not store the real number. The RBI has also run pilots of a digital rupee. Check the current status and terms before using any new form of money, and be sceptical of anything that promises returns on 'digital' assets.

Habits that keep you safe

Use two-step verification with an authenticator app where you can. Keep your phone's software updated. Install apps only from official stores. Never act on a message that creates urgency. Keep a small amount in the account linked to daily payments and the rest elsewhere.

Questions to ask yourself

• Which payment app limits should I lower?
• Which of my accounts still rely on text-message codes?
• Who in my family should know the family code word?

Sources and further reading

• NPCI: UPI product statistics: Monthly UPI volumes and values.
• Reserve Bank of India: Digital lending, tokenisation, digital rupee and consumer-protection circulars.
• Fraud safety library on this site: Guides to the scams described here.