What is VPA in UPI?

VPA stands for Virtual Payment Address, which is a unique digital identifier that you use to send and receive funds through UPI. You may know it as your UPI ID.

With VPA you do not have to enter details like bank account number, IFSC, branch name, etc. to make a transaction. You can now identify an account with a single indicator, which simplifies the payment process for senders and receivers.

A typical VPA or UPI ID looks like this: username@hdfc

How VPA Works in UPI Payments

Your VPA is created when you sign up on a UPI payment app. During the registration process, you get to select your VPA, which gets linked to your bank account. Once the VPA is linked to your bank account, it becomes the address you use to send and receive money.

Instead of typing in lengthy IFSCs and account numbers, you can simply use a VPA. The money sent will be transferred to the bank account linked to the VPA.

To make a payment all you have to do is enter the VPA in a UPI-enabled app, specify the amount, and authorize the transaction.

Examples of VPA in UPI

VPA generally consists of two parts separated by the @ symbol. The first part may be your email ID, phone number, or username and the latter part will be the name of the bank. For example; johndoe@okhdfcbank, ashokkumar@okaxis.

The format of your VPA will depend on your bank or your payment service provider (PSP). Different banks and PSPs have their conventions for creating VPAs. Let’s look at the VPA naming conventions of different banks and PSPs.

VPA in Popular UPI Apps

Here is a list of Third-party Payment Providers (TPAP), Payment Service Providers (PSP), and their VPA suffixes.

Benefits of Using VPA in UPI

Here are the benefits of using VPA in UPI:

• Simplified Transactions: 

VPA eliminates the need to remember bank account numbers and IFSC codes, making transactions more user-friendly.

• Enhanced Security: 

Sensitive bank account details are not shared during transactions when using VPA. This reduces the risk of fraud and unauthorized access.

• Easy to Create and Manage: 

You can easily create and manage multiple VPAs linked to a single bank account. You can effortlessly personalize and organize payment methods.

• Instant Fund Transfers: 

VPA enables real-time fund transfers, ensuring that money is sent and received without any delays.

• Universal Compatibility: 

VPAs are compatible with all UPI-enabled apps. This means you can send and receive money across different platforms like Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm using the same VPA.