On December 17, 2025, Amazon Pay officially launched its UPI Biometric Authentication feature in India. This industry-first initiative allows users to complete transactions using fingerprint or facial recognition, effectively removing the need to manually enter a UPI PIN for everyday payments.
1. Key Features & Specifications
- Authentication Methods: Supports both fingerprint sensors and face recognition (Face ID style), depending on the hardware capabilities of the user’s smartphone.
- Transaction Limit: The biometric “PIN-less” experience is applicable for transactions up to ₹5,000. For any amount exceeding this threshold, users are still required to enter their standard numerical UPI PIN for security.
- Platform Availability: Currently available exclusively for Android users. There is no official timeline yet for an iOS rollout.
- Service Integration: The feature works across all major UPI flows, including:
- Send Money (Peer-to-Peer)
- Scan & Pay (At physical stores)
- Merchant Payments (Online checkouts)
- Balance Checks
2. Strategic Benefits & Security
- Enhanced Speed: Amazon Pay claims this feature makes transactions approximately 2X faster than traditional PIN entry.
- User Adoption: Early data reveal a strong preference for the feature, with over 90% of customers opting for biometrics over PINs for eligible transactions.
- Device-Bound Security: Unlike a PIN, which can be “shoulder-surfed” (seen by others), biometric data is stored locally in the device’s secure enclave and cannot be shared or intercepted.
- One-Handed Convenience: Designed for ease of use while on the go, allowing for seamless one-handed payments.
3. How to Enable the Feature
Users can activate the new security layer within the Amazon app by following these steps:
- Navigate to Amazon Pay.
- Go to Account settings.
- Select Manage Biometric on UPI.
- Toggle the Enable switch and verify with the existing UPI PIN once to set it up.
4. Industry Context
While Amazon Pay is among the first major players to scale this, the launch follows recent NPCI (National Payments Corporation of India) guidelines introduced in late 2024/early 2025 that encouraged biometric and wearable-based authentication to reduce transaction friction in India’s massive digital payment ecosystem.