UPI handles 85% of India's payment volumes but just 9.5% of value; RTGS rules at 68.6%

RBI's H2 CY2025 Payments System Report shows UPI dominating retail-scale transactions while RTGS carries the bulk of payment value. UPI volumes grew at 55.8% CAGR, displacing debit cards which contracted at -24.4% CAGR. Total system volume hit 26,819 crore transactions.

— Source publishedMon, 18 May, 2026, 20:05 IST·First seen Mon, 18 May, 2026, 20:33 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

RBI's Payments System Report shows UPI handled 85.5% of India's payment volumes but only 9.5% of value in H2 CY2025, while RTGS dominated value at 68.6%. UPI's

Key facts

  • UPI 85.5% volume
  • UPI 9.5% value
  • RTGS 68.6% value
  • UPI CAGR 55.8% volume
  • Debit cards -24.4% CAGR
  • Total volume 26,819 crore CY2025

Why this matters

Debit card rails contracting at -24.4% CAGR signal a closing window to acquire or partner with card-issuer assets at distressed multiples before they become stranded infrastructure.