BharatPe Launches Voice-Based Feature On Its UPI App To Avoid Touching Phone

BharatPe, the Delhi-based startup, launched two voice-based applications on Monday that will help accountholders access transactions and balance without having to touch their phones amid COVID-19 outbreak.

The merchant payment and lending network provider launched 'Paisa Bolega,' a voice alert function that instantly reads aloud confirmations of all payments received through their BharatPe QR to shopkeepers, without touching the phone.

BharatPe Balance will give information about the total money available to the shopkeeper across deposits, loans and daily collections through quick response (QR).

During the lockdown, the company has seen business per merchant go up significantly as both customers and shopkeepers prefer contactless QR payments, BharatPe said in a release.

Average ticket size has gone up 70 percent from Rs 300 to Rs 500 as customers shop more for essentials, albeit less frequently, it added.

The Paisa Bolega button on BharatPe App eliminates the need for the merchant to check his phone repeatedly to see if money has come in, it said, adding that there will be no need to maintain any additional device. The new feature is also free of charge.

Further, BharatPe Balance provides a single snapshot of the shopkeeper's daily QR collections, balance in 12 percent interest a/c and the loan limit. This gives the shopkeeper a single snapshot of his business and capital available to him, the company said.