Due to their advanced age, most senior citizens may find it hard to remember debit cards’ personal identification numbers (PINs) for banking services, so no wonder they prefer cash over digital transactions. UPI ATMs remove this need to enter PINs or carry cards for different banks.

A video of a man withdrawing cash from an ATM using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) went viral this week after Union Minister Piyush Goyal posted it on X (formerly Twitter). It shows he is withdrawing cash without using a card.

Hitachi Payment Services, a subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, in association with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), launched the UPI ATMs during the Global Fintech Fest recently held in Mumbai.

These UPI ATMs can immensely help seniors who find it difficult to remember the PINs of different bank accounts and have to carry bank cards.

How Can Seniors Benefit From The UPI ATM Facility? 

First, seniors do not need to worry about remembering PINs or carrying bank debit cards. Although UPI ATMs are easy to use, those who do not regularly use UPI or are unfamiliar can easily learn the UPI ATM cash withdrawal process.  

So, let’s learn what UPI ATM is and how it functions. 

What Is UPI ATM? 

It is a cardless ATM that allows money withdrawal using UPI from bank accounts without an ATM or debit card.

What Does It Offer? 

UPI ATM offers a cardless and interoperable cash withdrawal facility. The withdrawal can be made from different bank accounts using one UPI app.

According to NPCI, UPI ATMs will bring the “convenience and security of UPI into traditional ATMs”. It can provide access to cash in the remotest areas where people have smartphones but may not have debit cards.

How To Withdraw Cash From UPI ATMs (WLA)?  

Seniors can withdraw cash from such ATMs by using their phones and following these steps.

Step 1: Select the cash withdrawal option ‘UPI cardless cash’ in the ATM.

Step 2: Select the amount you want to withdraw (the options are Rs 100, Rs 500, 1,000, Rs 2,000, and Rs 5,000).

Step 3: Once you select the amount for withdrawal, a QR code will pop up on the ATM screen. Scan the QR code from your UPI App on the mobile phone.

Step 4: Enter your UPI PIN to authorise the transaction.

Step 5: The ATM will take out the cash like other ATMs. Collect your cash. Your transaction is complete.

So you need to remember only the UPI PIN. UPI’s popularity has grown in India due to its ease of transactions. In August 2023, UPI transactions surpassed 10 million, accounting for about 75 per cent of India’s retail digital payment volume.