BHIM
Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is an Indian mobile payment app launched by NPCI in December 2016. It is the official Government of India UPI app, named after Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Bhimrao Ambedkar).
Understanding BHIM
BHIM was created to provide a Government-backed UPI app available across Android, iOS, and feature phones. While third-party apps (PhonePe, GPay, Paytm) have grown larger by transaction volume, BHIM remains a clean, ad-free option without the in-app commerce features that bundle payments with shopping in the third-party apps.
BHIM's UPI ID format is name@upi (e.g., 9876543210@upi). The app supports linking up to 5 bank accounts from a single phone number — useful for users with savings accounts at multiple banks who want to switch funding source quickly.
Why it matters
BHIM remains the cleanest UPI app for users who want to avoid the data-heavy third-party apps. For consumers worried about data privacy or who prefer government-backed software, BHIM is functionally equivalent to GPay or PhonePe. For merchants, BHIM QR is universally accepted across all UPI apps.
Example
A small kirana store keeper has a printed BHIM QR with their account ID 9876543210@upi. Customers can scan with any UPI app — BHIM, PhonePe, GPay, Paytm — and pay directly to the store's bank account. The merchant pays no MDR, the customer pays no fee.
A small kirana store keeper has a printed BHIM QR with their account ID 9876543210@upi. Customers can scan with any UPI app — BHIM, PhonePe, GPay, Paytm — and pay directly to the store's bank account. The merchant pays no MDR, the customer pays no fee.