Paytm vs Google Tez vs BHIM: The Best Digital Payment App Is...

We take a look at the top digital payment apps in India and find out which one is the best.

Comparison between digital payments app you can opt for. 

(Photo: The Quint)

You carry your phone to the grocery shop, pick up groceries, pull out your smartphone, and pay the bill. Ah! the ease!

You’d be lying if you say that digital payment apps haven’t made your life easier. Today, an assortment of digital payment applications sit at your disposal, but only a few of them end up on your smartphone.

With another player like Google Tez entering the digital payment app universe, how do you make sure that you get the best out of your digital wallet?

India currently has around 85 million unique active mobile wallet users, and this number will keep swelling in the coming days.

So, in order to use the app you need to understand which app suits you best.

Here’s a look at what separates the most popular digital payment apps in India.

Easy Pay-sy Interface

Paytm, Google Tez, and BHIM are relatively easy to use.

However, Paytm has an extensive array of utility payment options and a shopping portfolio, which makes is a bit cumbersome to navigate.

On the screen it may look a bit clustered, but one gets use to it in due course of time.

Paytm gives you the option of making payments for various utilities.(Photo: Paytm app)

Google Tez, on the other hand, has a very simple interface. It’s very easy to navigate and offers very simple options to carry out the transactions.

Tez is a digital payment app from Google(Screenshot: Tez app)

Google’s Tez offers (Screenshot: Tez app)

BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is also simple and easy to make transactions with. A very clean and clutter free user interface makes BHIM one of the simplest app to use amongst the three.

BHIM offers scan & pay.(Photo: BHIM app)

What’s On Offer?

Paytm is one of the most commonly used digital payment app in India. It caters to more than 200 million subscribers with over 7 million transactions per day worth Rs 120 crore.

This means that people have embraced the app and have found a lot of utility with the same. From paying your electricity bill to buying your favourite gadgets, Paytm gives you plenty of options.

With the latest update, Paytm if also offering additional services like Paytm Payments Bank and Paytm Gold. 

Also Read: Paytm Payments Bank: Everything You Need to Know

Paytm doesn’t support UPI (Unified Payments Interface) integration yet, but it’s in the pipeline. The app works on a digital wallet system where you have to keep filling the wallet by linking it to your bank account.

It does not direct credit money from your bank account. Nothing bad in this as it helps you keep a track of how much money you are putting in your digital wallet. Paytm also gives a lot of cash-back offers and discounts on transactions.

BHIM is based on UPI, which means you have to link the app to your bank account to make transactions.

You can also carry out transactions using IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) and MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) code to people who do not have a UPI-based bank account. Transactions via QR code is also possible with BHIM.

You can send up to Rs 10,000 per transaction, and up to Rs 20,000 a day

Also Read: Digital Payments in India: The Race to Capture Your Wallet Begins

There are no offers or cash-back schemes in the BHIM app, but there are lotteries like the Lucky Grahak lottery where the winners can win Rs 1 crore, Rs 50 lakh, or Rs 25 lakh.

Google’s Tez, the new entrant in the market, also works on the UPI platform where it links with your bank account. The app doesn’t support any utility payments or come with a shopping section, but offers cash-back and rewards.

Tez also offers proximity payments which uses sound capture technology to make payments.

Also Read: Blink Pay, Sound Capture: The Future of Digital Payments in India

For all transactions through UPI, there is a limit of Rs 1,00,000 per day across 20 transfers a day.

Take Your Pick

Both BHIM and Tez are UPI-based apps, which give you the ease of making quick transactions without the hassle of refilling your e-wallet regularly.

There are additional services like offline transactions in BHIM and cash mode in Tez, which add a lot of value to these two payments app. Though Tez is new in the market, it comes with a simple easy-to-use interface and is perfect for people who are looking to make quick mobile transactions.

Paytm has been in the market since 2013, and has evolved to become one of the best digital wallet app which caters to everything from digital payments to shopping to utility payments. The only missing piece in the puzzle is UPI integration.

Regardless of which app you choose, you can be sure of one thing – your pockets are going to be much lighter (figuratively speaking).