Think of a UPI ID as an email address for money. Anyone who knows it can send you a payment, and it points to your bank account without revealing the account number. You choose which account it points to, you can have more than one, and sharing it is safe in a way that sharing your bank details or your PIN never is.
This guide starts with the basics and works up to the rules that matter if you take payments for a business. If you're new to UPI itself, start with our beginner's guide to what UPI is.
What a UPI ID is
NPCI, which runs UPI, defines a UPI ID as a unique identifier, in the form username@pspname, that a payment service provider issues to a user or merchant for sending or receiving UPI payments. The payment service provider (PSP) is the bank behind the UPI app you registered with.
You'll also see it called a VPA, short for virtual payment address. That's the older name for the same thing: a UPI ID and a VPA are identical.
What one looks like
A UPI ID has two parts, joined by @:
So a full UPI ID looks like asha.sharma@yourbankhandle, or 98XXXXXX10@yourbankhandle if it's built from a mobile number. The examples here are illustrative; your own handle depends on your app and bank.
You may see your own UPI ID partly hidden in your app. NPCI's rules require apps to mask mobile numbers and UPI IDs that contain them, showing only the last four digits, while giving you an option to view or copy your full UPI ID when you need it.
| Part | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Before the @ | The name part, chosen by you or created by your app. It can be based on your mobile number or not. | asha.sharma or 98XXXXXX10 |
| After the @ | The "handle" of the bank (PSP) that issued it. It tells UPI which bank to route the payment to. | @yourbankhandle |
UPI ID, UPI number, account number, QR code: how they differ
All four can receive a UPI payment, but they're not interchangeable.
| Compared on | What it is | Safe to share? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPI ID | username@handle, linked to one of your bank accounts | Yes | The standard way to be paid. Works for people and businesses. |
| UPI number | A numeric UPI ID: your mobile number, or an 8- or 9-digit number you choose | Yes | Only for person-to-person payments. You must consent before it's set up. |
| Bank account number + IFSC | Your actual account details | Share only when needed | Works in UPI too, but exposes your account number. |
| QR code | A picture that contains your UPI ID (and sometimes an amount) | Yes, for receiving | The payer scans it to pay you. Scanning a QR is always for paying, never for receiving. |
The UPI number, in a little more detail
A UPI number is a numeric payment identifier you can choose to set up against your existing UPI ID. It can be your 10-digit mobile number (fetched by the app, not typed in) or an 8- or 9-digit number of your choice. It works only for payments between people, not to or from merchants.
- It's opt-in: your app needs your explicit consent before linking it, and you can de-link or deregister it.
- A mobile number used as a UPI number can be linked to only one UPI ID at a time.
- Because a single wrong digit sends money to someone else, apps ask you to enter a recipient's UPI number twice, unless you pick them from your saved contacts or beneficiaries. If you still send to the wrong number, NPCI's rules put the responsibility on the person who paid.
- If a UPI ID and UPI number go unused, with no financial transaction for more than a year, they're disabled for incoming payments until you re-register in your app. You can still send money in the meantime.
How to find your UPI ID
Every UPI app shows it, though the menu names differ. In general:
Your bank's own mobile banking app usually shows your UPI IDs too, under its UPI section. And the QR code your app shows you contains your UPI ID, so a payer scanning it gets the same result as typing it.
- Open your UPI app and go to your profile, or the screen that shows your QR code.
- Look for "UPI ID" under your name or under the linked bank account. If it's partly hidden, tap the eye or copy icon to see it in full.
- If you have several bank accounts linked, check which one each UPI ID points to. Most apps let you pick a default.
How to create a UPI ID, or another one
You don't usually create your first UPI ID by hand: your app creates it when you register, as part of linking your bank account and setting your UPI PIN. Apps must offer both mobile-number-based and other UPI IDs, and must let you set any of them as your default.
If you want a different one, say a name you're happy to give customers, look for an option to add or create a UPI ID in your app's profile or account settings. A few rules apply to what you can choose:
- It can't be misleading. Apps must not allow UPI IDs that impersonate someone else.
- It can't contain sensitive details: never a full account number or card number.
- Individuals can't use reserved words. NPCI keeps a reference list that rules out, among others, bank and brand names, government bodies and schemes, and titles such as CEO or manager.
How a payment to a UPI ID works
When someone pays your UPI ID, this is what happens:
Notice what's missing: at no point do you, the receiver, enter anything. Receiving money never needs your UPI PIN, an OTP or your approval.
- They type or scan your UPI ID in their app.
- Their app looks it up and shows them your name as it appears in your bank's records. For a verified business, it shows the business's validated brand name instead.
- They check the name, enter the amount and authorise with their UPI PIN (or, where their bank allows, their phone's fingerprint or face unlock).
- Their bank debits them, your bank credits you, and you both get a notification.
Using your UPI ID safely
Your UPI ID is meant to be shared. These are the things that aren't:
Before paying anyone by UPI ID or number, check the name your app shows. Apps must show the name from the receiver's bank records, not a name typed into a QR code or saved in your contacts, precisely so you can catch a wrong or fake ID before the money moves. If something goes wrong, report it to your bank straight away and to the cyber-fraud helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
- Your UPI PIN, ever. It's only for paying, never for receiving, and no bank, app or customer support agent needs it.
- OTPs and the details on your debit card, which are used to set or reset your UPI PIN.
- Requests to "approve" a payment to receive money. UPI no longer allows collect requests between individuals at all, so a request that claims you'll be paid once you enter your PIN is a scam.
- Unknown QR codes sent to you to "receive" a refund or prize. Scanning a QR is for paying. Scan only when you mean to pay.
Business UPI IDs
A shop, freelancer or online business can be paid at a personal UPI ID, but businesses usually get a merchant UPI ID and QR from their bank or payment provider. The differences show up for the customer and in how the money reaches you.
For the practical choices, including whether a personal account is enough and when you need a current account, see our guide to payment gateways for small businesses. If you'll display a QR code at a counter or on invoices, our guide to static and dynamic UPI QR codes explains which kind to use.
- Verified merchants (large businesses and some regulated categories that pass the provider's checks) show their validated brand name and a green-tick indicator in the customer's app, and some categories get higher payment limits.
- Small merchants expecting up to ₹1 lakh of incoming UPI payments are set up in a separate small-merchant category, "P2PM", and are credited to their own account in real time.
- A merchant ID ties payments to a business record, which makes refunds, reports and reconciliation far easier than picking customer payments out of a personal statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to share my UPI ID?
Yes. A UPI ID lets people pay you; it can't be used to take money from your account without your UPI PIN. Share it freely, but never share your UPI PIN, an OTP or your debit card details.
Can I have more than one UPI ID?
Yes. You can have UPI IDs in different apps and for different bank accounts, and apps must let you choose which one is your default. A mobile number used as a UPI number, though, can be linked to only one UPI ID at a time.
Can I change my UPI ID?
You can usually create a new UPI ID in your app and make it your default, within the naming rules: nothing misleading, no account or card numbers, and no reserved words such as bank names or official titles. Tell people who pay you regularly about the new one.
What happens to my UPI ID if I change my phone or SIM?
If you keep the same mobile number, you can keep using the same UPI ID and UPI number after a SIM or handset change. You'll need to register the app again on the new phone, and on some phones you'll be asked to set your UPI PIN again.
Why can't someone pay my UPI number?
Your UPI number works only if you consented to link it, and only for payments from individuals, not businesses. It's also disabled for incoming payments if your UPI ID has had no transactions for more than a year. Check your app's UPI number settings, or share your UPI ID or QR code instead.
What does VPA mean in UPI?
VPA stands for virtual payment address. It's the original name for a UPI ID, and the two mean exactly the same thing.
Go deeper
Official sources
- NPCI — UPI Consolidated Circular, Version 1.0, NPCI/UPI/CC/01 (18 Sep 2026)UPI ID definition and creation rules (4.1–4.4); masking (4.7); UPI number: format, consent, dual entry and liability, P2P only, one UPI ID per mobile number, deactivation after a year without transactions, SIM or handset change (5); bank-registered or verified brand name shown before paying (2.13–2.15); no P2P collect (2.16); verified merchants and P2PM small merchants (7.2, 7.8); reserved keywords (Annexure D).
- Ministry of Home Affairs — National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalHelpline 1930 for financial cyber fraud.
Last reviewed . Examples, amounts and screens marked illustrative are not LILPE figures.
