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You can create an alphanumeric UPI handle on most UPI applications. This will hide your phone number. Eg: My UPI id is sudshekhar.cheq@trans. Most other UPI

You can create an alphanumeric UPI handle on most UPI applications. This will hide your phone number. Eg: My UPI id is sudshekhar.cheq@trans. Most other UPI apps allow you to create such handles AFAIK. Nowadays, you can also keep your bank details private by using UPI with a wallet instead of savings account.

captn3m0 3y ago
The UPI protocol lets the acquirer lookup this to get additional information, and this is being used by several acquirers, notably Smartbuy@HDFC to provide phone numbers to merchants.
- sudshekhar 3y ago
  I think most data selling happens via branch employees / telecom operators instead of "at the top" Banks / UPI vendors have to comply with very strict data regulations and the confirmation of a "data leak" is enough to attract heavy penalties from the NPCI and RBI. Most banks and UPI service providers will never risk it, specially post the DEPA guidelines which have recently been adopted.
  - captn3m0 3y ago
    See this thread on twitter for reports: https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1632029845642412033 https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1632029845642412033, https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1630636510994378752 https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1630636510994378752
    - sudshekhar 3y ago
      Both these tweets can be addressed by adopting a UPI enabled wallet. Using Cheq, you can keep your bank account plus mobile number secret. Everyday small value transactions can also be consolidated separately from your main bank account. I don't think anyone is selling data in the UPI ecosystem but if they are, that's a very short-sighted strategy to make money for sure.
wtmt 3y ago
Nope. An alphanumeric UPI handle won’t hide your phone number [1] UPI payments also ~~leak~~ share the person’s full legal name on transactions…and the phone number. [1]: https://scroll.in/article/1045536/are-your-upi-payments-farming-your-personal-data-without-your-consent https://scroll.in/article/1045536/are-your-upi-payments-farm...
- sudshekhar 3y ago
  Hey, please try making a payment through a Cheq alphanumeric VPA. Your phone number won't get shared with the merchants. Legal Name -> Yes, everyone gets to see your full name post scanning the UPI payment app. But this is a feature not a bug. Since in most cases I want to confirm the identity of the person I am paying to. And allowing people to display any name as their UPI username will lead to much more identity fraud than you can imagine.
davchana 3y ago
Yes, upi ID generated by wallet app (I use PhonePe) doesn't tell others anything about my bank. It simply says money sent from davchana@ybl (YBL is Yes Bank, but my connected accounts to PhonePe are not Yes Bank). All PhonePe accounts are ybl irrespective of your connected banks.

captn3m0 3y ago

The UPI protocol lets the acquirer lookup this to get additional information, and this is being used by several acquirers, notably Smartbuy@HDFC to provide phone numbers to merchants.

sudshekhar 3y ago
I think most data selling happens via branch employees / telecom operators instead of "at the top" Banks / UPI vendors have to comply with very strict data regulations and the confirmation of a "data leak" is enough to attract heavy penalties from the NPCI and RBI. Most banks and UPI service providers will never risk it, specially post the DEPA guidelines which have recently been adopted.
- captn3m0 3y ago
  See this thread on twitter for reports: https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1632029845642412033 https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1632029845642412033, https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1630636510994378752 https://nitter.net/jackerhack/status/1630636510994378752
  - sudshekhar 3y ago
    Both these tweets can be addressed by adopting a UPI enabled wallet. Using Cheq, you can keep your bank account plus mobile number secret. Everyday small value transactions can also be consolidated separately from your main bank account. I don't think anyone is selling data in the UPI ecosystem but if they are, that's a very short-sighted strategy to make money for sure.

wtmt 3y ago

Nope. An alphanumeric UPI handle won’t hide your phone number [1] UPI payments also ~~leak~~ share the person’s full legal name on transactions…and the phone number. [1]: https://scroll.in/article/1045536/are-your-upi-payments-farming-your-personal-data-without-your-consent https://scroll.in/article/1045536/are-your-upi-payments-farm...

sudshekhar 3y ago
Hey, please try making a payment through a Cheq alphanumeric VPA. Your phone number won't get shared with the merchants. Legal Name -> Yes, everyone gets to see your full name post scanning the UPI payment app. But this is a feature not a bug. Since in most cases I want to confirm the identity of the person I am paying to. And allowing people to display any name as their UPI username will lead to much more identity fraud than you can imagine.

davchana 3y ago

Yes, upi ID generated by wallet app (I use PhonePe) doesn't tell others anything about my bank. It simply says money sent from davchana@ybl (YBL is Yes Bank, but my connected accounts to PhonePe are not Yes Bank). All PhonePe accounts are ybl irrespective of your connected banks.