Only a RuPay credit card can be linked to UPI in India. Once you add it in a supported UPI app such as BHIM, Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm, verify it by OTP, and set a UPI PIN, you can scan any merchant QR code and pay straight from your credit card limit. That amount is then repaid in your normal card bill. Visa, Mastercard and American Express credit cards cannot be linked yet, and you can pay shops and merchants only, not send money to a friend.
Not a credit line on UPI. This is your existing card's limit, spent by QR, repaid in your card bill. A credit line on UPI is a different product, a separate pre-approved loan from a bank or NBFC. Do not confuse the two.
The Reserve Bank of India first allowed credit cards on UPI in June 2022, starting with RuPay. As of 2026 that is still the only card network allowed, per NPCI, which runs the RuPay Credit Card on UPI scheme.
| Card or account | Works on UPI? |
|---|---|
| RuPay credit card | Yes, this guide |
| RuPay debit card or bank account | Yes, the normal UPI way |
| Visa credit card | No, not allowed yet |
| Mastercard credit card | No, not allowed yet |
| American Express credit card | No, not allowed yet |
Most large UPI apps now support the RuPay credit card option. Open your app, go to the add-account or add-card section, and look for your RuPay credit card against your registered mobile number. If you do not see it, update the app or try BHIM, which NPCI lists as supported. If you do not own a RuPay credit card yet, see our guide on how to apply for a credit card.
Setup takes about five minutes. You only do it once per card.
Keep ready before you start: your active RuPay credit card, the mobile number registered with your card issuer for the OTP, the card's last six digits and expiry date, and a UPI app that supports RuPay credit cards.
For you, the cardholder, linking and paying are free. NPCI states in its RuPay Credit Card on UPI FAQs that customers are not charged for linking the card or for carrying out transactions from it.
There is a fee, but it sits on the shop's side, not yours. It is called interchange. Under the NPCI operating circular for RuPay credit cards on UPI, no such charge applies to small merchants for payments up to ₹2,000, and an interchange fee, widely reported at about 2 percent, can apply to the merchant above that ticket size. You do not pay this. The one charge you might see directly is a surcharge on specific categories such as fuel, which NPCI allows the merchant to pass on.
Limits. You can spend up to ₹1 lakh a day, and up to ₹2 lakh for some special merchant categories, but never more than the available limit on your card, per the NPCI FAQs.
Rewards depend on your card issuer. Check your own card's terms. NPCI directed banks from September 2024 to give equal reward benefits on RuPay credit card UPI spends, but each issuer still sets its own caps and exclusions, so some merchant categories may earn fewer points or none.
This is a credit facility for shopping, not a way to move cash. Per the NPCI FAQs, only merchant payments, called P2M, are allowed.
Remember, this is still borrowing. The amount shows up in your card statement and, if you do not clear the full bill by the due date, interest and late fees apply just like any credit-card spend. Paying on time protects your CIBIL score.
No. As of 2026, only RuPay credit cards can be linked to UPI. RBI allowed credit cards on UPI in June 2022 starting with RuPay, and Visa, Mastercard and American Express are not yet enabled. A few apps let you scan a Bharat QR with a Visa or Mastercard, but that is a card feature, not a UPI link, and it does not work on ordinary UPI QR codes.
No. Only merchant payments (P2M) are allowed. Person-to-person (P2P) transfers are blocked, so you cannot send money to a friend's UPI ID or phone number from your credit card, per the NPCI FAQs. If you accidentally paid the wrong UPI ID, see how to recover money after a UPI fraud.
There is no fee to link it, and NPCI says customers are not charged for linking or for transactions. A merchant fee called interchange can apply on the shop's side for larger payments, with small merchants exempt up to ₹2,000, but that is not billed to you. You may see a direct surcharge only on some categories such as fuel.
It depends on your card issuer. Many banks do give points or cashback on merchant UPI spends, while some cap or exclude certain categories. Read your card's reward terms before you rely on it. If a merchant wrongly charges you, our credit-card chargeback guide explains how to dispute it.
No. A RuPay credit card on UPI uses the limit of a card you already hold, and you repay it in your card billing cycle. A credit line on UPI is a separate pre-sanctioned loan from a bank or NBFC, with its own approval and repayment terms. See our page on the credit line on UPI to compare.
For a wider guide to your money rights and citizen tools, see The RTI Playbook.