CheQ launches UPI payments with up to 2.5% rewards on eligible RuPay credit cards

CheQ has launched CheQ UPI, allowing eligible RuPay credit-card users to pay merchants via UPI and earn up to 2.5% rewards on qualifying transactions. The move extends the credit-card management platform into everyday digital payments.

— Source publishedTue, 25 Aug, 2026, 19:15 IST·First seen Tue, 25 Aug, 2026, 19:45 IST·Source Business Today · Latest

What happened

CheQ launched CheQ UPI, enabling eligible RuPay credit-card holders to make UPI merchant payments and earn up to 2.5% rewards on qualifying transactions,

Key facts

  • up to 2.5% rewards

Why this matters

CheQ’s expansion creates partnership opportunities with RuPay issuers, banks and merchant-payment networks while positioning it closer to competing fintech rewards and payments ecosystems.

What to watch

  • Monthly active CheQ UPI users, transaction frequency, and average ticket size after launch promotions.
  • Reward burn as a percentage of payment volume and evidence of caps or category exclusions.
  • Number of participating RuPay issuers and ease of linking eligible cards.
  • Merchant acceptance, failed-payment rates, and user complaints around reward tracking or settlement.
  • Competitive reward launches from PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, Cred, banks, or card networks.
  • Growth in retail merchant-funded promotions and conversion into CheQ's adjacent financial products.
  • Add merchant-funded offers and retail-category reward boosters to offset cashback costs.
  • Use UPI transaction behavior to personalize card recommendations, credit products, and retail offers.
  • Pursue issuer and RuPay partnerships for exclusive reward pools, faster onboarding, and co-branded campaigns.
  • Introduce spend caps, qualifying-merchant rules, and tiered rewards if transaction economics deteriorate.