UPI is the easiest and most convenient payment method in today’s era, allowing you to make payments ranging from small to large both online and offline with ease. Its popularity is such that it might be considered the best payment system in the world.
In India, there are many applications that use this UPI system, and the biggest advantage of using these apps is that you often receive cashback when making payments. What could be better than this—making payments easily anywhere and receiving cashback in return?
In this article, we will discuss the best UPI apps in India, evaluating and comparing various applications to determine which app provides the best cashback when making UPI payments.
Best UPI Apps for Cashback
1. Kiwi
Kiwi is a new payment application designed specifically for UPI payments. This app does not offer other options like bill payments or other payment features. It is a straightforward app that you can use exclusively for UPI transactions. One of the major features of this app is it gives a free lifetime Rupay credit card, which you can use to maximize your cashback value. You can also make payments directly with your bank account.
The primary reason for recommending this app is that it offers a flat 1% cashback on UPI transactions. Cashback is given in the form of “Kiwis” (in-app currencies). For example, if you use the Rupay credit card to make a ₹100 payment at an offline or online store, you will receive cashback equivalent to 1% of the transaction.
2. Cred
Cred app is the most popular app for credit card payments, but it offers more than just credit card bill payments, including UPI payments. By making UPI payments through Cred, you can save approximately ₹50 to ₹100 per month because it provides cashback of ₹2 to ₹20 on the first two transactions daily, although the transaction amount must be a minimum of ₹20.
Additionally, if you are paying a merchant through the app, you may not receive cashback, but compared to other apps, it offers the best cashback. The minimum cashback is ₹1, but you can earn between ₹1 to ₹20. So, if you make 8 to 10 payments per week using Cred, you can get cashback between ₹30 to ₹100.
3. Navi
Navi is a fintech platform that offers you loans, insurance, investments, and UPI payment facilities all in one place. Although it started as a mere loan provider, it has gradually added other payment categories. Upon downloading Navi, you can get a cashback of ₹10-100 on your first UPI transaction.
Additionally, you can earn coins on every payment, which can then be converted into real cash and instantly transferred to your bank account.
Navi can be included in the list of one of the best UPI cashback apps as it consistently provides some cashback on UPI payments. If you are not getting any offers on your existing apps, you can use the Navi app to make UPI payments and earn cashback.
4. Jupiter UPI
Backed by Federal Bank, Jupiter is a money management and UPI app that allows you to track your spending and balance. In addition, it provides you with a free lifetime Rupay credit card, which offers a 2% flat cashback on purchases. However, this cashback is only available when you make a minimum payment of ₹100 through UPI payments using the Rupay card. You can download Jupiter app from here to start earning cashback on UPI payments.
The cashback is given in the form of jewels, which you can either convert into real cash or use to purchase vouchers. Additionally, you receive a ₹500 joining bonus when you join the platform.
If you want to know more about this offer, you can refer to this article. I would categorize this app among the best UPI apps because it provides a flat 2% cashback on payments over ₹100 made through UPI.
4. Google Pay
Google Pay is a very popular UPI payment app that allows you to transfer money and pay bills. It is ranked the third-best UPI payment app because other apps are currently offering less cashback compared to Google Pay. It is one of the oldest UPI payment apps and continues to provide cashback through various campaigns even after many years. While it no longer offers cashback on regular UPI payments, you can still earn cashback during special campaigns where you complete tasks to unlock rewards.
Like all other apps, Google Pay also offers special cashback on the first payment for new users. If you download the app using the referral code Bq8yi, you will receive a flat ₹21 cashback on your first UPI payment. You can claim this cashback by sending just ₹1.
5. Paytm
If we talk about India’s most reputed and popular payment app, Paytm is the first that comes to mind. For years, no other app could match Paytm when it came to cashback. Even today, this app offers cashback on various payments, although the cashback amount has been reduced.
Now, Paytm offers user-specific deals. Different users are being offered specific cashback deals. You can check this by going to the “offers for you” section, where you will also find specific UPI offers.
For example, Paytm has curated these offers for me. However, there’s a catch with Paytm’s specific offers; if you don’t manually activate these offers, you won’t get the benefits. So, you can check your exclusive offers from time to time and make UPI payments accordingly. Paytm is still one of the best UPI apps, especially in terms of cashback.
6. Amazon Pay
In this list of “best UPI cashback apps,” Amazon Pay is ranked 5th because, in addition to cashback, you can also receive Amazon shopping vouchers. For Amazon Pay UPI cashback offers, you need to manually check the rewards page to see which offers Amazon has unlocked for you.
Amazon Pay rewards you with scratch cards every time you complete a UPI transaction using Amazon Pay UPI. These scratch cards may contain shopping coupons and cashback. You can easily find these offers in the ‘Offer Section’ on Amazon Pay.
It’s a great choice if you’re considering purchasing on Amazon, as UPI payments through Amazon can grant you Amazon discount cashback vouchers for free.
7. PayZapp
PayZapp is an online payment app by HDFC that allows you to recharge, pay bills, apply for a credit card, and provide UPI payment facilities.
Download the app, register for it, and complete KYC to start using it. On the homepage, scroll down, and you will find the section titled “Explore offers, rewards & more.” Under this section, you can discover offers currently running on UPI payments. Scroll down to check the ongoing UPI offers.
8. Mobikwik
Mobikwik periodically runs cashback offers on UPI payments, which you can check on its app or website. This app operates smoothly and efficiently, offering a range of features, from bill payments to money transfers, including sending money to banks and much more. Explore the UPI offers on its dedicated page to start earning cashback.
9. Freecharge
Freecharge is a well-known UPI payment platform that rewards you with cashback when you recharge or make bill payments using UPI mode. While it doesn’t offer cashback for sending money, you can use other apps like Kiwi, Cred, and Bazaz Finserv for that purpose.
This app is an excellent choice when you have a recharge or bill payment to make and you’re in search of a reliable UPI app that not only provides cashback but also offers a user-friendly platform with seamless transaction capabilities.
Best UPI Apps in 2024
If you are looking for a UPI app solely for cashback purposes, we will not consider factors like UI, payment smoothness, or ease of use. In 2024, I would rank Cred as the top choice because it offers the highest and smoothest cashback available today.
However, instead of sticking to one app, you can maximize your monthly cashback by using a combination of different apps. For example, if you have exhausted Cred offers, you can switch to Paytm. If you don’t find good offers on Paytm, you can check the offers section of other apps like Google Pay and Payzapp.
