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The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has mandated a phased deprecation of the UPI Collect flow for P2M (Person-to-Merchant) transactions to enhance security and reduce fraud. This change impacts all merchants using UPI Collect for payments.

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What’s changing

NPCI has mandated the following changes for UPI P2M transactions:
  • UPI Collect flow phase-out: UPI Collect for P2M transactions must be discontinued.
  • Migration to secure flows: Merchants must prioritise UPI Intent (mobile) and UPI QR (desktop) as primary payment methods.
  • Device-specific enforcement: Different rules apply based on customer device type.
UPI Collect was previously sunset for P2P transactions. These changes now extend to merchant payments to address rising fraud instances.

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Understanding UPI payment flows

Cashfree supports the following UPI payment flows:
  1. Customer enters their UPI ID (VPA).
  2. Collect request is sent to the customer’s UPI app.
  3. Customer authorises the payment using their UPI PIN.
  1. On mobile, the customer is redirected to their preferred UPI app by clicking the app icon on checkout.
  2. On desktop, the customer scans a dynamically generated QR code using their UPI app.
  3. Payment is completed securely within the UPI app without manually entering a VPA.
UPI Intent and QR flows are now the dominant payment methods in the ecosystem due to enhanced security and user experience.

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Device-specific UPI rules

The following table shows NPCI’s mandated UPI flows by device type:
iOS is currently exempted by NPCI and will continue to support UPI Collect until further notice.

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Required actions by integration type

Applies to: Mobile web and native SDK integrations using standard Cashfree Hosted CheckoutAction required: No action neededImpact: Cashfree has removed the Collect option from hosted checkout on Android and desktop. Alternate flows (Intent and QR) are already supported, so customers won’t experience disruptions. iOS still allows Collect until further notice.
Applies to: Android or iOS mobile WebView integrations using Cashfree CheckoutAction required: The following scenarios determine your required actions:
  • Scenario A (Not using standard Checkout): No action required.
  • Scenario B (Using standard Checkout in WebView): Implement specific code changes to ensure UPI Intent displays correctly. Refer to the Android Custom Checkout documentation for WebView integration details.
Applies to: Direct API integrations using custom checkout or Order Pay API
Critical actions are required for seamless merchants to ensure compliance with NPCI guidelines.

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Migrate from Collect to Intent or QR

Update your checkout logic to prioritise the following flows:
  • Mobile: Enable UPI Intent.
  • Desktop: Use UPI QR.
  • Deprecate: Remove UPI Collect as a payment option according to device rules above.

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Pass client environment details

Cashfree requires visibility into the customer’s device to enforce NPCI rules. You must pass the following headers in your Order Pay API and Get Eligible Payment Methods request:Header values:Merchant type and rendering type details:
If headers aren’t passed, Cashfree assumes full migration to Intent or QR flows. UPI Collect is allowed only in permitted environments (iOS and exempt transaction categories).

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Timeline and compliance

Cashfree has blocked UPI Collect on Android and desktop from February 28, 2026. Use UPI Intent on mobile and UPI QR on desktop.

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Product-level exemptions

The following transaction categories are exempted from UPI Collect sunset:

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Implementation checklist

Use this checklist to track your compliance progress:
Have you identified your integration type (Non-seamless or Seamless)?
Your integration type (Non-seamless or Seamless) determines the actions you must take for UPI Collect deprecation compliance.
Review the Required actions by integration type section above to determine which category your implementation falls under.
Have you ensured that UPI Intent and QR flows are enabled and functional?
UPI Intent and QR flows are now the dominant and secure payment methods. Ensure both are fully enabled and tested before deprecating UPI Collect.
Refer to the Understanding UPI payment flows section for flow descriptions, or contact your Account manager for assistance in enabling these flows.
Have you deprecated UPI Collect in non-exempt environments (Android or Desktop)?
UPI Collect is deprecated on Android and desktop devices. Ensure your checkout removes this option for non-exempt transaction types.
Review the Device-specific UPI rules table and Product-level exemptions section to confirm which flows to deprecate for your use case.
Have you updated the Order Pay API with client environment headers (seamless merchants only)?
Seamless merchants must pass client environment headers to allow Cashfree to enforce NPCI device-specific rules correctly.
Review the API documentation section above to see required and optional headers, or consult the Order Pay API documentation for implementation details.
Are you monitoring Cashfree updates for final NPCI enforcement dates?
NPCI enforcement timelines are subject to change. Stay updated to ensure your implementation remains compliant with the latest regulatory requirements.
Review the Timeline and compliance section above, or contact your Account manager for the latest enforcement date information.

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Frequently asked questions

The following questions cover UPI Collect behaviour on Cashfree mobile SDKs.
UPI Collect is deprecated and no longer in use on Android. Use UPI Intent on Android, and UPI QR on desktop.iOS still allows UPI Collect until NPCI gives further notice. Some transaction categories remain exempt on Android, including IPO, UPI mandates, eRupi vouchers, and PACB flows. See Device-specific UPI rules.If you use Cashfree Hosted Checkout, Cashfree has removed Collect from checkout on Android and desktop. If you use a custom checkout or the Order Pay API, remove Collect for non-exempt Android and desktop traffic and upgrade to the latest SDK so UPI Intent is available.
Yes. The same UPI Collect deprecation rules apply in both the sandbox and production environments. This is a regulatory change and is not specific to individual accounts.To test UPI in sandbox, use UPI QR Code (scan with a mobile device) or UPI Intent (test on a mobile device or emulated WebView). For device-specific exceptions, see Does UPI Collect work on Android devices using the Cashfree SDK?.
The ability to send a payment collect request to a customer’s UPI ID (where the customer enters their VPA and receives a request on their UPI app) is discontinued for merchant payments (P2M) in line with NPCI and RBI guidelines. This regulatory change applies to all payment gateways in India, and Cashfree can’t re-enable it. The discontinuation covers both customers entering their UPI ID on the checkout page and merchants sending collect requests from the Merchant Dashboard.For alternatives, use UPI QR on desktop and UPI Intent on mobile. See Device-specific UPI rules.
If customers only see a QR code instead of UPI app icons (UPI Intent), the cause is usually the integration environment. For mobile apps using a WebView, UPI Intent requires specific handling to intercept UPI scheme URLs (such as upi://, gpay://, or phonepe://) to launch the respective apps. If your WebView doesn’t implement this handling, only the QR code appears.For Cashfree Hosted Checkout on mobile browsers, UPI app icons appear automatically. See UPI Intent in WebView for implementation details.

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Support

For questions or technical clarifications, contact Cashfree through the following channels:

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