11:00 AM IST – Paying via UPI usually ends with the same ritual — type the PIN, double-check digits, hope no one’s looking. That habit may slowly fade. As per PTI, Amazon Pay has rolled out biometric authentication for UPI payments on December 17, 2025. It lets users approve transactions using fingerprint or Face ID instead of typing a PIN, for amounts up to ₹5,000. Amazon’s statement says it is an industry first.
It sounds like a small tweak. In reality, it changes the psychology of payments.
What actually changed — and what didn’t
This is not “UPI without security”. It’s UPI with a different security trigger. For eligible payments, Amazon Pay asks your phone to verify your identity using the device’s biometric system. If verified, the payment goes through. Cross the ₹5,000 mark, and the PIN is mandatory again.
So the PIN is not dead. It’s just no longer needed for every ₹120 grocery run.
The safety question everyone is asking
Biometric authentication shifts security from something you know to something you are. Importantly, your fingerprint or face data never leaves the phone. It stays inside the device’s secure hardware, not with Amazon, not with your bank.
From a fraud perspective, that’s a real advantage. PINs can be observed, reused, or tricked out of users. Biometrics can’t be guessed over a call or phished through SMS, Email, or OTP.
But convenience cuts both ways.
If someone gets physical access to your unlocked phone, biometric approval makes small-value misuse easier. That’s precisely why the ₹5,000 limit exists. It’s a guardrail, not a technical limitation.
Why Amazon Pay is doing this now
Most UPI apps still treat a ₹50 payment and a ₹50,000 payment the same way — PIN for everything. Amazon Pay is clearly optimising for frequency, not value.
This move is enabled by the broader flexibility now allowed by NPCI, but Amazon Pay is among the first to push it into everyday usage rather than hiding it deep inside settings.
The strategy is familiar: remove friction where risk is low, and usage rises.
A quick comparison that keeps it grounded
| Point | Amazon Pay Biometric UPI | Regular UPI |
|---|---|---|
| How you approve | Fingerprint / Face ID | PIN |
| Speed | Very fast | Slower |
| Per-transaction cap | ₹5,000 | Higher |
| Risk if the phone is misused | Medium | Lower |
| Best suited for | Daily spends | Big transfers |
Who should actually use this
If your UPI usage is mostly chai, fuel, groceries, metro tickets, and small merchant payments, this feature makes sense. During Easemoney’s internal observation, checkout time dropped from 8–10 seconds to about 3 seconds when PIN entry was removed. In busy stores, that difference feels meaningful.
If your UPI activity is rent, business payments, or large transfers, the benefit is limited. PIN-based approval still offers stronger psychological and practical comfort.
The hidden catch most people ignore
Biometric UPI assumes good phone hygiene. Quick auto-lock, no casual phone sharing, no biometric unlocks handed around. Without that discipline, speed turns into exposure.
Bottom line
This isn’t reckless innovation. It’s controlled convenience.
Amazon Pay hasn’t replaced the PIN — it has demoted it for low-risk use cases. Biometrics handle speed. PINs handle seriousness.
Our judgment: enable it for everyday spending, keep your PIN habits intact for everything else.
What to watch next
If limits rise or banks introduce behaviour-based thresholds, PIN-less UPI could become the default. Until then, treat biometrics like a fast lane — efficient, useful, but not meant for heavy loads. NPCI is also expected to enable biometric authentication across UPI apps, gradually reducing PIN dependency while keeping limits and safeguards in place.
