The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched BHIM 3.0, the third major version of the Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) app. Promising a more intuitive, family-friendly, and business-savvy digital payment experience, BHIM 3.0 is positioning itself as more than just a UPI tool—it’s pitching itself as a digital financial companion.
Smarter, Sharper, and Simpler
India’s digital payments users now get a far more customized experience in store with BHIM 3.0, featuring data analytics, group expense monitoring, and real-time reminders as part of its enhanced ecosystem. As compared to previous versions, which had greater emphasis on peer-to-peer UPI payment, this latest version has attempted to bring users’ daily spending habits within the app ecosystem itself.
At the launch, NPCI’s non-executive chairman Ajay Kumar Choudhary emphasized that BHIM 3.0 marks a “significant stride towards a digital economy that truly reflects India’s financial diversity.” CEO of NPCI BHIM Services, Lalitha Natarajan, underscored that the upgrade was built “keeping in mind the evolving financial needs of every Indian household.”
Key Features that Humanise Digital Payments
What sets BHIM 3.0 apart is its focus on everyday usability:
- Split Bills with Ease: Whether it is a restaurant bill, rent, or shopping, users can now split bills with friends or family within the app itself. It’s a small feature with a huge emotional draw—removing the embarrassment of splitting bills.
- Family Mode: This feature allows members to add family members and track their spending. Parents can even assign payment responsibilities to other members so the entire family is on the same page regarding finances.
- Smart Spend Analytics: With its automatic monthly categorization of spending, the app now enables users to better understand their spending and budget accordingly. It’s not merely about moving money—it’s about developing money sense.
- Intelligent Alerts: The app not only reminds users about pending bills but also prompts them when their UPI Lite needs activation or their balance runs low.
Businesses Get a Slice of the Upgrade
Not even small businesses and street vendors were excluded. Now, with the new BHIM Vega feature, shopkeepers can accept payments directly within the app and not go through third-party platforms. That translates to faster transactions, reduced cost, and a cleaner customer experience, all in one place.
Inclusive by Design
BHIM 3.0 now supports over 15 Indian languages, a move aimed at bridging the digital divide for millions of non-English-speaking users across rural and semi-urban India.
“This is not just an update. It’s a reimagination of how Indians interact with money digitally,” said a senior product manager at NBSL. “We’re turning everyday money moments splitting rent, reminding Dad about a bill, watching your spending spiral into manageable, even empowering, tasks.”
What It Means for India
Since its launch after demonetisation, BHIM has been a symbolic cornerstone of India’s UPI revolution. However, adoption has not been uniform, particularly among older citizens, small merchants, and rural shoppers. By making its product simple and intuitive, BHIM 3.0 shows a clear intention: digital payments must be personal, not mechanical.
In a time when digital tools often feel cold and transactional, BHIM 3.0’s empathetic design is a welcome shift. It recognizes that behind every QR code is a person sometimes a parent, a vendor, a student, or a saver—trying to manage money in a fast-changing India.
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