NPCI, IRCTC, and CoRover unveiled Conversational Voice Payments for UPI at the Global Fintech Fest 2024. This new feature, which integrates with the payment gateway, allows Indian Railways customers to make payments for Railway tickets on IRCTC by using their voice or typing their UPI ID or mobile number over a call.
When a mobile number is provided, the Conversational Voice Payments system automatically retrieves the corresponding UPI ID and initiates a payment request via the user’s default UPI app. To ensure a seamless and flexible payment experience, the feature also allows consumers to update their mobile number or UPI ID within the transaction time limit.
These companies say this technology is the “first-ever conversational voice payment system to pay to merchants using UPI.” It essentially removes language barriers and makes transactions faster, human-centric and more accessible than before.
The system utilises Payment Gateway’s APIs to ensure a smooth and secure transaction process with CoRover’s voice-enabled BharatGPT. The system supports multilingual input, meaning it can support commands in Hindi, Gujarati, and other languages.
NPCI positioned the feature as innovation-driven. The feature also provides users with the flexibility to choose from other payment methods, such as credit/debit cards, net banking, and wallets.
Furthermore, this Conversational Voice payment, powered by UPI and BharatGPT, has been seamlessly integrated into AskDISHA, the AI virtual assistant for IRCTC and Indian Railways. Now, users can also book tickets and make payments by just using their voice, making the entire process smoother, faster, and more convenient.
The payment infrastructure in India is advancing at a rapid pace, with companies making the whole payment process easier by going digital. Delhi Metro recently introduced a metro card recharge feature for metro commuters across the Delhi NCR region. In addition, using the same ticketing and chatbot services on WhatsApp, commuters can also access the metro card recharge service in both English and Hindi by sending ‘Hi’ to the specified number or by scanning the QR code.