Samsung introduced fingerprint-based authentication for UPI payments through Samsung Wallet in India. The new option allows users with compatible Galaxy smartphones to approve eligible transactions using the phone’s fingerprint sensor instead of manually entering a UPI PIN.
The feature is available for UPI payments of up to Rs. 10,000. According to Samsung, biometric verification happens on the device, so users can complete qualifying payments without entering their PIN on the screen. The company also said the change aims to make routine payments quicker while reducing the need to expose a UPI PIN in public.
The process is similar to unlocking a Galaxy phone with a registered fingerprint. When a user makes an eligible UPI payment through Samsung Wallet, the app can prompt them to authenticate using the fingerprint sensor.
Once the fingerprint is recognized, the payment can proceed without the user typing the UPI PIN. Samsung has not specified a separate universal setting that users need to turn on, so the exact screens and steps may differ depending on the Galaxy model and software version.
The new method is not intended to remove the UPI PIN altogether. The Rs. 10,000 threshold applies specifically to transactions eligible for the new biometric authentication option. Payments outside the supported flow can still require conventional authentication.
For people making frequent small UPI payments, the update removes one manual step. It could also be useful in crowded places, where entering a PIN on a phone screen can expose the number to people nearby.
Samsung says on-device biometric authentication can also reduce failed payments caused by incorrect UPI PIN entry. The feature follows NPCI’s broader move toward additional authentication methods for UPI transactions, including on-device biometrics.
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UPI is only one part of Samsung Wallet. The app also supports contactless payments using tokenized credit and debit cards, utility bill payments, and storage for digital keys, boarding passes, tickets, and ID cards.
According to Samsung, Wallet uses its Knox security platform along with fingerprint recognition and encryption to protect sensitive information. The company described the stored data as being kept in a secure environment designed to protect it from digital and physical attacks.
For Galaxy users in India, the update essentially brings the UPI payment experience closer to unlocking a phone: authenticate with a registered fingerprint and complete an eligible payment without manually entering the PIN.