PM Modi's BHIM App. All you need to know

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently launched the BHIM app with a view to boosting digital transactions. Here is all you want to know about BHIM and also how you can set it up.
BHIM stands for Bharat Interface for Money.

The great thing about BHIM app is its simplicity and how it makes cashless transactions very easy. In apps like Paytm and MobiKwik, you have to recharge your e-wallet to use them. There is no such thing here in BHIM. It directly connects to your bank account — one account that you can specify — and then you can use it to make payments, receive money and make transfers.

• BHIM app is an Aadhaar-enabled payment app developed by National Payment Corporation of India which is an aggregator for all UPI-based services offered by banks.
• It uses the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) through which all the major banks in India are now connected. The transactions are instant, although there is a limit of Rs 10,000 per transaction. Also, you can’t make transaction worth more than Rs 20,000 in 24 hours.
• You will also need a working SIM that is required for number verification.
• BHIM allows you transfer money between two banks using a smartphone seamlessly within a few seconds. In fact, it takes less than a minute to download, install and makes a payment.
• You can download the BHIM app on a smartphone or a basic phone (of Rs 1,000-1,200), BHIM app can be used. It is not necessary to have the internet for this app.
• This app can be downloaded from Google Playstore (for Android devices) and will be available on iOS (for iOS devices) soon.
• The app registers the phone number of the first-time users.
• It requires a fingerprint scanner on your smartphone. You do not need a debit card or credit card, all you need is your bank account linked to your Aadhar card.
• All the major banks are supported by the BHIM app – as long as the bank supports UPI, you will be able to access your money through the BHIM app.
• For non-smart phone and non-Internet users, USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) transfer system is a great alternative. USSD is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. Applications may include prepaid roaming or mobile chatting.
• The adoption of this app will minimize the role of plastic cards and point of sale machines.
• It is already available in 11 regional languages and is a great option for rural citizens and widespread adoption of BHIM will completely revolutionize traditional transaction style.

How to set it up

• Download BHIM app from Google Play store.
• Once installed, open the app. It has a very simple user interface. It will tell you the purpose of the app and ask you to click Next button several times.
• If there is an error, try again. The app is right now slightly slow and occasionally fails to connect. But try again.
• The app will now verify your phone number by sending a message to its servers. Once the number verification is done, it will ask you to set up the BHIM PIN. This is actually the UPI PIN. Set it up.
• The app will now show you the list of banks. Select your bank from the list. Using your phone number, the BHIM app will automatically fetch the details of your bank account.
• The app will also generate a QR code for your ID as well as give you the UPI ID using your number that you can pass around to make transactions.

How to use BHIM app

• On the home screen, the app has three options. Send money, request money and scan and pay.
• Send money: The option is simple to use. Tap on it > enter the phone number of the person who is going to receive the money. The number will be verified and if a UPI/BHIM account has been set up for that number, the app will accept the number and will take you to the next screen where you can put in the money and send it.
• If there is no number or UPI ID, you can also send the money using Bank Account + IFSC code. To access this option, click on three dots (settings) on the send money page.
• Request money: Again, tap on the request button. Put in the number, let the app verify it. Once the verification is done, you can request the money.
• Scan and pay: This is the place where QR codes come into the picture. The app generates a QR for every user, which can then be shared or printed and pasted. To make a payment to the QR code owner, just scan it and pay

Source: Yahoo Finance (in.finance.yahoo.com)