Sat Apr 12 07:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Nationwide UPI Outage Leaves Millions Stranded
**Mumbai, April 12, 2025** – A widespread outage of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system has left millions of Indians unable to make digital payments. The disruption, which began earlier today, is affecting major banks and popular payment apps like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm. DownDetector, a website tracking outages, reported a surge in complaints starting around 12:50 PM.
Users are reporting difficulties not only with third-party apps but also with UPI services offered directly by major banks including SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis Bank, and Bank of India. This marks the second major UPI outage this month, following a similar incident on April 2nd.
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages UPI, has yet to officially confirm the cause of the outage. However, the widespread nature of the problem suggests a potential issue with the backend network used by both banks and third-party payment apps.
Many users are unable to complete payments or transfers. Some bank apps and net banking portals are also displaying errors, hindering access to account balances and transaction histories.
While the NPCI has not provided an estimated recovery time, users are advised to utilize alternative payment methods such as debit/credit cards, net banking (if available), cash withdrawals from ATMs, or digital wallets like Airtel Money or WhatsApp Pay. The NPCI is expected to release a statement shortly.
For failed transactions, users are reassured that funds are typically automatically reversed. If money is deducted but the transaction fails, banks generally refund the amount within 24-48 hours. Users are urged to remain patient, avoid repeatedly attempting failed transactions, and utilize the suggested alternative payment options until the service is restored.