BHIM Launches UPI Circle Full Delegation

NPCI BHIM Services Ltd (NBSL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched a new feature for the BHIM Payments App called UPI Circle Full Delegation. The service seeks to simplify shared payments by allowing a user to authorize a trusted family member, dependent, or employee to make UPI payments straight from their account under a certain monthly limit.

What Purpose Does it Serve?

Until now, UPI was largely a single-user approach, with payments made only by the owner of a bank-linked UPI ID. UPI Circle addresses this issue by introducing a secure delegation layer that allows the primary user to retain complete control over the money while allowing someone else to make payments on their behalf.

Daily transactions for many households and small enterprises, such as paying for food, petrol, school expenditures, prescriptions, or small company purchases, sometimes involve the exchange of cash or UPI PINs, which is dangerous. UPI Circle now provides a formal and secure alternative. 

How Does UPI Circle on BHIM Work?

With UPI Circle Full Delegation, a primary user can authorize a secondary user to initiate and finalize UPI payments straight from the primary user's account. The principal user can specify a monthly expenditure restriction of up to Rs 15,000 and an expiry period of up to 5 years.

This feature of the BHIM app facilitates smoother day-to-day digital payments among families, dependents, or small business employees while maintaining clear monitoring of all transactions. UPI Circle with Full Delegation promotes financial empowerment by enabling trusted users to conduct secure digital payments without requiring their own bank-linked UPI ID or bank account.

With Full Delegation, UPI Circle goes beyond real-time approvals to enable trusted, autonomous payments within predefined boundaries. It mirrors how Indian households and businesses naturally operate, based on trust, flexibility, and accountability. The BHIM Payments App's intended features continue to make digital transactions simpler, safer, and more inclusive for all segments of society." 

Features of BHIM with UPI Circle Full Delegation

In a press statement dated November 25, 2025, NBSL (NPCI BHIM Services Limited) stated:

Support for Senior Citizens: A family member can authorize senior citizens to pay for small-value transactions on their own. They are often afraid to make digital payments, and this will help them get started with a level of security they can trust.

Empowering Young Adults: Parents can give their children controlled, delegated access to manage their daily or educational spending by setting a monthly limit that does not compromise security.

Secure Delegation in Small Businesses: Business owners can authorize their employees to pay for operational expenses such as gasoline and tolls, among others, assuring transparency and accountability while avoiding the need to handle cash.

Assisting Digitally Inexperienced Users: Working professionals can help dependents who are unfamiliar with digital platforms by offering payment access with real-time monitoring, allowing them to manage their daily spending more conveniently.

How to Use UPI Circle on BHIM?

According to the news release, here's a step-by-step guide for using UPI Circle on the BHIM UPI App:

• Open the BHIM Payments App and navigate to the UPI Circle section from the home screen.
• Click on 'Invite to Circle' 
• Next enter their contact number.
• Enter their UPI ID or scan the QR code.
• Choose 'Approve a Monthly Limit' (Full Delegation).
• Select your relationship (child, spouse, or employee) 
• Confirm their identification with Aadhaar or other applicable documentation.
• Set a monthly spending limit (up to Rs 15,000) and the validity period (maximum duration is 5 years, minimum is one month).
• Select your selected bank account and authorise the delegation via UPI PIN.
• The secondary user accepts the request and can start sending UPI payments immediately after a brief cooling period.

How to Set Up Full Delegation on UPI payment in BHIM?

Here is how to set up full delegated UPI payments on BHIM app- 

• Open the BHIM App
• Go to UPI Circle
• Click on invite the individual with their contact or UPI ID.
• Select complete delegation, validate their identification
• Next select a monthly limit of up to Rs 15,000 plus the validity term. 
• Select your bank account, authorize with your UPI PIN, 

If the secondary user agrees and completes a brief cooling time, they can begin making payments.

For example, a primary user, such as a parent, can authorize payments to their children up to a certain monthly limit, after which their secondary users (children in this case) can transact using the UPI Circle feature.

Business owners can delegate payment authority to their employees to conduct transactions on their behalf. A debit transaction made by a secondary user to the primary user's account is recorded as a UPI Circle payment in the person's banking transaction history.

Conclusion

UPI Circle Full Delegation marks a major leap forward in India’s digital payment ecosystem by extending convenience, trust, and control to millions of users. By allowing families, dependents, and small businesses to securely delegate payments within predefined limits, NPCI and BHIM have addressed a long-standing need for shared financial access without compromising safety. UPI Circle stands out as an inclusive innovation making everyday transactions easier, safer, and truly collaborative.