How to use Paytm app for online UPI payments amidst this lockdown and Corona threat

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       Corona virus has taken away the sleep of our night since the starting of the year. People are locked in their houses and facing multiple issues since more than 2 months due to the closure of market. In this crucial time, digital payments can be very helpful to be safe as this allows you to pay for essentials without touching and exchanging any physical thing. Only you need your smartphone to send money and do payments. Digital payments also makes easy to send and receive money from different people during this lockdown without meeting them physically. You can use any of your bank account for this. 

Step by step guide: 

      1. Download the Paytm app in your smartphone

      2. Create account by entering the mobile number linked with bank account of yours.

      3. Use the password as strong as you can keep.

      4. Enter some personal information like name and age

      5. Link your bank account by clicking on UPI option

      6. Select the correct sim slot and enter the OTP sent to your registered mobile number

      7. Choose a strong UPI pin not in a general order

      8. Go to pay option

      9. Scan QR code or manually enter UPI ID of payee

      10. Enter amount and proceed

      11. Enter the OTP with highest security possible

      12. Payment done

How to get started:

         First of all you need to download any of the digital payments app in your smartphone. I personally use the Paytm app that has helped me out many times when I needed to send money to somebody. I will describe the whole thing to you with respect to this app. First of all you need to download the app in your smartphone. It will be available in the app store of you smartphone. After that you need to register with a mobile number and a string password. Always remember to use a strong password without compromising on length. It is always recommended to not to use your name or the mobile number in the password as this terms can be guessed by anyone of your nearest persons. A one time password (OTP) will be sent to the mobile number you are using login. Put that on the next page and you are ready to enter the digital payment world.

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Add a bank account to pay:

         Now you are in the app. But there is a lot to go for your first digital payment. You now need to add a bank account to the app. Please don't worry about the fact that anyone can misuse your details to take away the all the hard earned money of yours. It will be completely in your control to when, whom and how much to pay using your bank account. We have discussed about the "Safety Factors" below to prevent your money to be looted from your bank accounts. You can check that before going through this. You can link your bank account with the Paytm UPI by using the mobile number you have linked with the bank account already. Remeber that the mobile number needs to be in the smartphone you have installed the app in. Just click on the UPI icon, select the bank you have the account in and you will see the mobile operator names you have inserted in the smartphone. Click on the correct sim slot (you will get both the slot number and operator name) of the mobile number and you will receive an OTP. After putting the OTP the account will be linked with that smartphone and Payrm account as well. But you need to create an UPI pin to secure your UPI payments. It will be a 4 digit number line your ATM pin and you need to choose it very wisely so that no-one except you can use this. Otherwise it can take your bank balance to zero. Beside this you can also create an account in Paytm Payments Bank and add money with your debit card as well. 

Using Paytm Payments Bank to avoid direct bank account link: 

         This is a safer side to use digital payments. As you can limit the maximum balance you want to keep in the Paytm Payments Bank so that your all money is never at risk while using digital payments. The Paytm Payments Bank can be used same as bank account where you can get interest and a physical or virtual debit card also. You can money in the account from your debit of other bank account you have. You can also transfer the amount by using the account number, which is generally the mobile number you have loved in with and the IFSC code of the Paytm Payments Bank. After creating the bank account and adding some amount which you wish you need to add the bank account in the same process defined before. This time the mobile number will be the same you used while logging in to the account.

Make your first digital payment with UPI:

        Now when you have linked your Bank account with the Paytm app, you can start paying with the app. For that you need to go to the PAY option in the app. You can either scan the QR code of the payee or enter the unique UPI ID. After scanning the code or entering the UPI ID you can see the name of the payee and enter the amount. Then just click on proceed  and enter the secret UPI pin you have chosen before. The money will be sent in seconds. You will get the confirmation after the payment is completed. You can also recieve money by your unique UPI ID or QR code. Just go to the UPI payments section in the app for more details.

Safety Factors to keep in mind while using digital payments: 

        This is the most important point to remember while doing any digital payment. Please to over concerned while using any kind of digital payment options like these. Specially you need to focus on the OTPs and the UPI pin. Always remember these 2 are the last thing they fraudsters needs to get your money. Always use these 2 with the highest safety. Hide your screen while entering, don't share to anyone. If you can keep these 2 out of reach of any other person, your money will be always safe in your bank accounts. 

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          In this lockdown period, digital payments can help you to stay away from unnecessary touches from outsiders. Be it from home deliveries or payments in the market. You can totally rely on UPI apps for payments. We hope this pandemic ends soon and the lockdown is removed as soon as possible. So that we can go to our regular days like before.