Customers struggle as many post offices refuse UPI payments

Hubballi: India Post, which is also into banking services, is yet to offer a digital payment option at most of its offices, forcing customers to transact exclusively in cash, much to their inconvenience.

Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the volume of digital payments has been growing at Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 44%. However, India Post, which is the oldest and most widely distributed postal service with a network of 1.5 lakh post offices across the country, is yet to provide digital payment service in many of its offices.

To courier food items to his son studying in Europe, Lingaraj Dharwadshettar went to the Hubballi Head Post Office. After packing 22 kg of food items, the post office staff asked him to pay courier charges of Rs 13,381 in cash.

“No one carries so much cash these days as most shops and offices accept digital payments. When I offered UPI and card payment, the post office staff said they didn’t have a digital payment facility. I approached a senior official who also insisted on cash payment. I was forced to go to an ATM to withdraw cash to make the payment,” said Dharwadshettar.

Senior Superintendent of Post Office (Dharwad Postal Division) Vaibhav Waghmare said they had introduced QR codes using static QR code-based UPI mode for select transactions.

Due to technical issues, the service was withdrawn. Now, India Post accepts digital payments using dynamic QR codes in head post offices and in branch post offices for select services like parcels, speed posts and registered posts.

A postal staff from Haveri said that in the absence of UPI payments, many customers argue with them and there is also the hassle of small change. “When we approach higher officials, they say a new software will soon be launched for UPI payments. But a year has passed, and we are still dealing with cash.”

According to sources, the static QR code was introduced in 2022, but was withdrawn in a year after it developed technical issues. Now, the digital payment system has been reintroduced in 58 head post offices across the state. 

Director Postal Service Sandesh M said the facility is available in head post offices and branch offices.
But due to lack of awareness, some people might not be using the service.