{
  "id": 19642595,
  "title": "Beyond the first transaction: Building inclusive digital payments for Bharat",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/beyond-the-first-transaction-building-inclusive-digital-payments-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-12T10:44:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "YourStory",
    "slug": "yourstory",
    "url": "https://yourstory.com/2026/11/beyond-the-first-transaction-building-inclusive-digital-payments-for-bharat"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Beyond the initial digital payment made in Bharat, ensuring users feel confident to return for additional transactions presents a significant challenge. At the TechSparks 2026 event, Sagar Kumar, Vice President of Engineering at PayU, joined Shivani Muthanna, Senior Director – Strategic Content & Video at YourStory, for a discussion on building inclusive digital payments. Kumar highlighted that while startups prioritize speed during their early stages, engineering priorities shift as businesses scale. Speed is essential, but so is the ability to introduce changes gradually and test them with specific customer groups to minimize potential issues. PayU has made strides in making online payments as intuitive as offline transactions by defaulting to a scan-and-pay option and offering checkout pages in multiple languages. However, the real challenge lies in preventing first-time online shoppers from feeling discouraged by payment failures. PayU addresses this by implementing safeguards such as idempotency checks, which prevent duplicate debits after a successful first attempt and clear communication regarding failed transactions. Additionally, PayU has launched an RBI-compliant checkout page designed specifically for visually impaired users, featuring screen-reader voiceovers, larger button sizes, and other visual enhancements. These accessibility improvements, which were tested with blind and visually impaired users, benefit not only this user group but also enhance the overall user experience for everyone. PayU processes over 20 million transactions daily, necessitating a robust system that can handle the complexities involved. To achieve this, PayU employs intelligent routing, which monitors gateway success rates and employs machine-learning models to determine the optimal transaction route. The company also uses a patented routing algorithm to redirect transactions to alternative gateways if performance deteriorates, ensuring smooth transactions without inconveniencing merchants or customers. Beyond transactions, PayU leverages payment data to offer business opportunities. UPI transactions provide valuable insights into customer payment behavior, aiding financial underwriting for credit needs. PayU's LazyPay and merchant lending products assist small and medium businesses with cash-flow management, while Agent HQ helps automate operational tasks, allowing business owners to focus on growth. Kumar emphasized that these efforts contribute to a more inclusive and efficient digital payments ecosystem for Bharat.",
  "summary": "At TechSparks 2026, Sagar Kumar of PayU discussed how payment systems can improve accessibility, build user trust, and bring more consumers and small businesses into the digital economy.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}