Multiple countries have adopted the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for instant transactions. A notable instance is the ability to purchase tickets for the Eiffel Tower via UPI. Currently, UPI mobile app development is a profitable venture for businesses.
By 2027, the daily UPI transactions could reach $1 billion. The demand for secure, fast, and incentive-based UPI apps is ever-rising. If your business is based in a country which has recently adopted or is planning to adopt UPI, it’s time to strike the iron when it’s hot. Developing a UPI app now allows you to establish a firm foothold in the market.
In this blog, WDI will cover everything you need to know about UPI app development, from features, and cost, to steps.
Essential Features for UPI Mobile App Development
The features play a crucial role in encouraging people to prefer your UPI apps over your competitors. Here are some UPI app features that you must implement to stand out in the market.
Rewards and Cashback Programs
Incentives are one of the best ways to attract new users and retain existing ones. Rewards and cashback act as effective incentive strategies. You can partner with various merchants, brands, and platforms to provide exclusive offers and discounts to your users.
Gamification
This is an effective way to keep users engaged. Generally, people use UPI apps only when they have to make a payment. Gamification can motivate them to use it even more. Combined with rewards, gamification elements such as levels, badges, leaderboards, etc. can motivate users to achieve certain goals and earn rewards.
Social and Community Features
Word of mouth is one of the best forms of publicity. Social and community features allow you to leverage just that. Enable options for users to share their UPI IDs, achievements, and rewards on social media. This will help you create some buzz and drive organic traffic to your app.
Multi-Language Support
If you are targeting a global audience, having multi-language support is unnegotiable. With AI and NLP, you can easily make your app accessible in multiple languages without having to manually translate everything.
Chatbot Integration
An AI and NLP-powered chatbot can provide instant support to users. It saves the trouble of having to address minor queries multiple times a day. Instead, your support team can focus on the major problems at hand.
A chatbot can also guide the users through the app’s features and functionalities, and offer tips and suggestions.
UPI App Development Cost
Managing your budget and allocating finances is a major concern for businesses investing in UPI mobile app development. The actual UPI app development cost is influenced by a multitude of factors from the project scope to the development team. This makes it difficult to lay your finger on a number.
However, we can provide you with a guesstimate of how much it’ll cost to develop a UPI app so that you can plan ahead accordingly.
| Feature | Description | Estimated Development Cost |
| User Registration/Login | Allow users to create accounts and log in securely | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Linking Bank Accounts | Enable users to link their bank accounts securely | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Send/Receive Money | Implement functionality for transferring funds | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| QR Code Payments | Enable payments using QR codes | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Bill Payments | Facilitate payment of bills (electricity, water, etc.) | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Transaction History | Provide users with a record of their transactions | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Security Features | Implement robust security measures (encryption, etc.) | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Push Notifications | Notify users of transactions, updates, etc. | $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Customer Support | Integrate support features (chat, email, etc.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Multi-factor Authentication | Enhance security with additional authentication methods | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Custom UI/UX Design | Create a user-friendly interface tailored to your brand | $2,000 – $5,000 |
| Cross-platform Development | Develop for iOS, Android, and web platforms | $3,000 – $6,000 |
| Integration with APIs | Connect with third-party services (banks, merchants) | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Testing & Bug Fixing | Ensure app functionality and address any issues | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Compliance & Regulations | Ensure adherence to UPI guidelines and regulations | $2,000 – $4,000 |
| Total | $22,500 – $48,000 |
Note that the final development cost will vary depending on your exact project requirements.
Steps to Develop a UPI App
There are a few things you need to take care of before approaching a mobile app development company for your project.
Create a Project Scope
There’s an endless number of features and functionalities that can be implemented in a UPI app. Which of those are you planning to develop? A project scope defines your exact requirements and helps the development company understand exactly what you want.
Create a detailed project scope document that explains your app idea, launch platforms, target audience, features, and functionalities.
Create a Monetization Strategy
How exactly are you planning to generate revenue from your UPI app? There are multiple monetization pathways available:
Promotions: Partner with brands to provide discounts and vouchers on your app. This benefits both revenue generation and user engagement.
Value-Added Services: You can charge a convenience fee for some additional services such as bill payments, recharges, ticket bookings, subscriptions, etc.
White-Labeling: You can license your app or technology to other businesses or platforms that want to offer UPI payments to their customers, such as e-commerce sites, social media apps, etc.
We suggest that you refrain from charging a transaction fee as most popular UPI apps offer free payments.
Ensure Necessary Compliance
As the final step, get the necessary compliance and paperwork ready for your app. Every country has different laws regarding this so we suggest you consult a legal professional. You need to ensure that your app does not violate any intellectual property rights, consumer rights, or anti-money laundering laws.
Approach a UPI Mobile App Development Company
WDI can develop a robust and secure UPI app for your business. Being a fintech leader for decades, we have the expertise to execute your app idea. We can handle everything from conceptualization to post-launch maintenance so that your app runs effortlessly.
Just fill out the contact form and share your project scope document to get started.
Let’s work together to create a ground-breaking UPI app.
