Should I use UPI intent flow or UPI collect for event tickets?

Intent flow (deep-link into GPay/PhonePe) converts 20-30% higher than collect flow (send a request to the buyer's UPI ID). Intent is default on mobile. Show a UPI QR as fallback for desktop buyers.

Why do UPI payments fail more often than cards?

UPI has a 4-second timeout on the PSP layer. Buyer momentarily loses network, buyer's bank rejects due to daily limit, buyer opens their PSP app after 20 seconds — all cause a decline. Auto-retry with a fresh transaction ID, don't error out.

How do I reconcile UPI settlements with my ticket sales?

Your PSP (Razorpay, Cashfree) settles T+1 with a settlement report. Match each settlement line to your ticket sale by transaction ID. SignupDesk automates this — you see paid/pending/failed per order and export monthly settlement reports.

UPI payment for events — the practical guide

UPI is now the default payment method for ticketed events in India. Cards are for corporate expense claims; UPI is for everyone else. This is what actually works — intent flow vs collect, GPay/PhonePe deep links, decline handling, reconciliation, and the mistakes that leak revenue.

Intent flow vs Collect flow — pick intent

Intent flow. Buyer taps "Pay via UPI." The site deep-links straight into their GPay/PhonePe/Paytm app with the amount pre-filled. They tap their PIN. Done. Conversion: 65-75%.

Collect flow. Buyer enters their UPI ID (name@bank). Your PSP sends a collect request to their PSP. Notification arrives on their phone 3-10 seconds later. They approve. Conversion: 40-55%.

Intent flow wins because it removes the "type your UPI ID" step and the "wait for notification" delay. If you're doing UPI on mobile checkout, use intent. Use collect only as fallback if the buyer doesn't have a PSP app installed.

The GPay / PhonePe / Paytm split

You don't need to build separate integrations. Any PSP (Razorpay, Cashfree, PhonePe Business, Paytm) exposes a single UPI API. The buyer picks which PSP app to open — GPay handles ~48%, PhonePe ~46%, Paytm and BHIM the rest.

On checkout, show three big buttons (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm) with their logos. On tap, deep-link into that specific app. This converts 5-8% higher than a generic "Pay via UPI" button because buyers trust the brand they use daily.

Desktop checkout — show a QR

Desktop buyers can't deep-link into a phone app. Two options:

UPI QR on screen. Buyer opens their PSP app, scans the QR, approves. Works everywhere. Conversion: 45-55%.
Phone-to-mobile handoff. Buyer enters their mobile number, gets an SMS with a checkout link, opens on phone and pays via intent. Conversion: 60-65%.

Do both. Default to QR, offer SMS handoff as a link below.

Handling declines — auto-retry, don't error out

UPI has a much higher decline rate than cards. Common causes:

Bank daily UPI limit hit (₹1 lakh/day typical, resets midnight)
Buyer momentarily off network (metro, elevator, patchy 4G)
PSP timeout (buyer opened the app after 20 seconds; the payment request expired)
Wrong PIN entered (buyer taps wrong number)
Beneficiary bank momentarily down (RBI outages are real)

What to do:

Never show a generic "Payment failed" error. Tell the buyer what actually happened where possible.
Auto-offer retry with fresh transaction ID. Same order, new UPI attempt. Don't make them re-enter details.
Fall back to alternate PSP. If GPay failed, offer PhonePe. If PhonePe failed, offer the QR fallback.
Preserve the cart. Ticket type, quantity, promo code — all held. A failed UPI retry that loses the cart is a lost sale.

Reconciliation — T+1 settlement

Your PSP (Razorpay/Cashfree) settles collected UPI money to your bank T+1 (or T+2 for weekend/holiday transactions). Each settlement is a lump sum with a report attached listing every transaction that made up that sum.

Reconciliation workflow:

Download the settlement report from your PSP dashboard each morning
Match each transaction ID to a ticket order in your system
Mark the order as "settled" once bank credit is confirmed
Flag mismatches (usually settlement includes yesterday's late-night transactions)

SignupDesk syncs settlement reports from Razorpay/Cashfree automatically. Every order shows paid/settled/reconciled with a per-order settlement date. No spreadsheet reconciliation required.

Refunds — UPI is fast, but not instant

UPI refunds go back to the source account. Timing:

Refund initiated same day as payment: 2-4 hours typical
Refund initiated 1-7 days after payment: 24-48 hours
Refund initiated more than 7 days after: 3-5 business days (funds have already settled to your bank; PSP needs to pull them back)

Tell attendees "refund will hit your original UPI account within 5 business days" — over-promise on speed at your peril.

Common mistakes

Not offering intent flow on mobile. Losing 20-30% conversion by asking buyers to type UPI IDs.
Erroring out on decline instead of retry. The buyer thinks their card was declined and goes elsewhere.
No QR fallback on desktop. Desktop UPI buyers exist. Show them a QR.
Charging Razorpay's fee on top of ticket price without saying so. Legally fine, ethically dodgy. Bake it into the ticket price or absorb it.
Not reconciling settlements. Finance team will find the mismatch in month-end close. That's the wrong week to discover it.

SignupDesk supports UPI intent flow via Razorpay/Cashfree, auto-retries on decline, shows QR fallback on desktop, and reconciles settlements automatically. The buyer just taps their PSP app — no typed UPI IDs, no dropped carts.

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