Paytm UPI Gets Personal: Create Your Own Custom ID Now

Paytm has introduced a new feature allowing users to create personalized UPI IDs, a move aimed at strengthening privacy and giving users more control over their financial identities.

The feature lets users select custom handles such as name-@ptyes or name-@ptaxis, moving away from UPI IDs tied directly to mobile numbers. Initially available through Yes Bank and Axis Bank, support from more banking partners is expected soon.

This update arrives amid growing concerns over data privacy in digital payments. Paytm’s move to separate UPI addresses from mobile numbers seeks to address user discomfort in revealing phone numbers during transactions.

According to the company, these new UPI handles will allow users to receive payments discreetly—be it during retail purchases, service-based payments, or transfers among acquaintances.

Steps to Create a Custom UPI ID on Paytm:

1. Open the Paytm app

2. Tap the profile icon and select 'UPI Settings'

3. Go to 'Manage UPI ID' and choose a personalized ID (e.g., name-@ptyes)

4. Confirm and activate the selected ID as primary for payments

A Paytm spokesperson said the launch was influenced by user input. “We developed personalized UPI IDs to provide privacy and flexibility in payments. Users sought ways to keep their mobile numbers confidential, and this rollout directly responds to that,” the spokesperson noted.

The release builds on several Paytm upgrades in recent months, including features like hiding/unhiding transactions, home screen money alerts, auto top-up via UPI Lite, and downloadable UPI statements in multiple formats. The app also offers a consolidated bank balance view across accounts.

This development also aligns with Paytm’s expansion of UPI services to international markets. Indian users can now transact via Paytm UPI in seven countries: UAE, Singapore, France, Mauritius, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.