Bharat QR vs UPI QR: know what you are creating
UPIQRTool puts your existing UPI ID into a upi://pay QR code. It does not issue a Bharat QR or enrol you for merchant acceptance. An account number and IFSC alone are not inputs this tool accepts.
The difference that matters on this site
| Question | What to know |
|---|---|
| What this site puts in the picture | The UPI ID you supply, encoded as upi://pay. |
| What the historical Bharat QR guidance covers | NPCI’s August 2017 circular describes scanning Bharat QR with integrated UPI credentials through UPI PSP applications. |
| Account number and IFSC only | This site does not encode them. For merchant acceptance, ask your acquiring bank about the QR it provides. |
| Does scanning support mean every app will work | No compatibility guarantee is made here. Confirm support for the specific QR with your bank or payment app. |
| Does adding a logo enable card acceptance | No. Changing the image in this tool does not enrol a merchant or establish which payment methods an account can accept. |
What the 22 October 2020 RBI notification decided
RBI/2020-21/59 said the two interoperable QR codes then in existence, UPI QR and Bharat QR, would continue. It required payment system operators using proprietary payment QR codes to migrate by 31 March 2022 and prohibited new proprietary payment QR codes. This is the historical deadline in that notification, not a claim that every code or app now works with every other one.
Read it on the RBI notification page.
What NPCI said about scanning Bharat QR in 2017
NPCI’s OC28, dated 18 August 2017, asked UPI PSP applications to support both UPI QR and Bharat QR integrated with UPI credentials. It set a 15 September 2017 implementation date. This historical interoperability instruction is not a current app-by-app compatibility test or a field specification for a new generator.
See the NPCI circular.
This page is not a Bharat QR generator
NPCI’s UPI FAQ directs merchants to an acquiring bank for acceptance infrastructure. This website does not provide that onboarding, assign a merchant category code, or verify an account. A person who already has a UPI ID can use the live generator or follow how to create a UPI code. Check the recipient and requested amount in your payment app before authorising a payment. A generated image is not proof of payment.
If you need Bharat QR acceptance, ask your acquiring bank which QR and payment methods it supports. This tool does not convert a UPI ID into a bank-issued Bharat QR.
Sources
- RBI notification, 22 October 2020 RBI/2020-21/59, Id 11987. Historical policy on interoperable and proprietary payment QR codes.
- NPCI OC28, 18 August 2017 Historical instruction for scanning Bharat QR integrated with UPI credentials through UPI PSP applications.
- NPCI UPI Frequently Asked Questions Merchant acceptance infrastructure and onboarding through acquiring banks.