UPI Payments Get a Privacy Boost: How to Hide Your Mobile Number and Personalize Your UPI ID
UPI apps have made digital payments in India easier than ever, but security remains a key concern. With millions of transactions worth crores happening every month, UPI has also become a target for scammers who trick users into sharing money or sensitive banking information.
To address these concerns, UPI payments are evolving with better security measures—especially regarding UPI IDs, which are often linked to your mobile number and can compromise privacy. The good news is that you can now hide your mobile number and even personalize your UPI ID, much like customizing an email or other digital account.
These updates promise to make payments more secure and reliable, and changing your UPI ID is a simple yet effective way to protect your personal details when sending or receiving money.
How to Change Your UPI ID on Paytm
Many users have long requested the ability to change their UPI ID, and this feature is gradually rolling out across popular UPI-compatible apps. Here’s how it works on Paytm:
- Open the Paytm app on your phone.
- Tap the Profile icon at the top-left corner.
- Scroll down to UPI & Payment Settings.
- You will see all your UPI account and ID details.
- At the top of the screen, your current UPI ID will be displayed—tap View to see all IDs linked to your account.
- You can now create a new UPI ID using letters and numbers.
- Paytm also allows you to create backup UPI IDs to prevent payment failures.
Why This Matters
Personalizing your UPI ID helps millions of users avoid sharing their mobile number, which has traditionally been linked to their UPI account—a major privacy concern.
Additionally, UPI payments are becoming safer: starting October 2, apps like Paytm, Google Pay, and PhonePe will no longer allow unsolicited payment requests, further protecting users from fraud.
