WhatsApp has overtaken fintech platform CRED in monthly Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transaction volume, marking a notable shift in India’s increasingly competitive digital payments market. According to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), WhatsApp processed 150.48 million UPI transactions in June, moving ahead of CRED, which recorded 141.78 million transactions during the month.
The gap between the two platforms was relatively narrow, with WhatsApp processing around 8.7 million more transactions than CRED. However, the figures also show that the two platforms remain far behind India’s three biggest UPI apps – PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm which continue to dominate the ecosystem by a wide margin.
The June data puts WhatsApp’s UPI service in a stronger position as the Meta-owned messaging platform continues to expand its payments offering in India. WhatsApp’s payments feature allows users to send and receive money through the same app they use for messaging, potentially making digital payments more convenient for its large user base.
Despite recording more transactions, WhatsApp remained well behind CRED in terms of the total value of payments processed. CRED handled transactions worth around ₹55,116.79 crore in June, compared with approximately ₹11,391.85 crore processed through WhatsApp. The difference suggests that WhatsApp’s UPI activity consists of a much larger number of relatively smaller-value payments, while CRED’s transaction base involves higher average payment values.
“WhatsApp had more UPI transactions than CRED in June.”~NewsBytes
PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm Continue to Lead:
PhonePe maintained its position as India’s largest UPI application in June, processing 10.48 billion transactions worth approximately ₹14.19 lakh crore. Google Pay remained in second place with 7.41 billion transactions valued at around ₹9.67 lakh crore.
Paytm retained the third position, recording 1.80 billion UPI transactions worth approximately ₹1.93 lakh crore during the month. The scale of the three leading platforms highlights the enormous gap between India’s largest UPI apps and the rest of the market. PhonePe and Google Pay alone processed nearly 17.9 billion transactions in June, while Paytm added another 1.8 billion.
The latest figures underline the concentration of India’s UPI market around a small number of major platforms. At the same time, the movement of WhatsApp ahead of CRED shows that competition below the top three remains active, with newer and smaller players continuing to compete for users and transaction volumes.
Other platforms also recorded significant activity during the month. Navi processed 842.51 million transactions worth around ₹43,948.56 crore, while super.money handled 430.24 million transactions valued at approximately ₹20,252.40 crore.
“WhatsApp surpasses Cred in UPI transactions; PhonePe stays on top.”~Inshorts
WhatsApp’s Growing Payments Push:
The rise of WhatsApp in transaction volume comes as the platform continues to build its presence in India’s digital payments market. WhatsApp already has a massive user base in the country, giving its payments service a potential advantage in terms of reach. The integration of payments within a messaging platform also allows users to make transactions without switching to a separate dedicated payments application.
However, the June figures also show that transaction volume alone does not tell the full story. WhatsApp’s 150.48 million transactions were worth roughly ₹11,391.85 crore, significantly below CRED’s ₹55,116.79 crore despite WhatsApp recording a higher number of payments.
This difference in transaction value is important because it indicates that the two platforms may have very different usage patterns. WhatsApp appears to be handling a higher number of smaller payments, while CRED’s users are generating a lower number of transactions with a considerably higher overall value.
The development also comes amid wider discussions about competition in India’s UPI ecosystem. PhonePe and Google Pay continue to account for a substantial share of transactions, while other apps are seeking ways to increase their presence and attract users.
“WhatsApp overtakes CRED in June UPI transactions; PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm retain top 3 spots.”~CNBC-TV18
UPI Market Continues to Expand:
The latest rankings reflect the enormous scale of India’s digital payments ecosystem. UPI has become one of the country’s most widely used payment systems, supporting everything from person-to-person transfers to merchant payments.
Government data shows that 55.49 crore users were onboarded on the UPI platform as of June 2026, highlighting the size of the market available to payment applications. The system’s continued expansion has also intensified competition among apps seeking to become the preferred payment option for consumers.
For WhatsApp, moving ahead of CRED represents a notable milestone, but the numbers also show the distance it still has to cover before challenging the dominant players. PhonePe, Google Pay and Paytm remain substantially ahead in both transaction volumes and payment values.
The June figures therefore present a mixed picture for WhatsApp Pay. Its ability to surpass CRED indicates growing traction, but its relatively low transaction value shows that its payments business is still operating at a much smaller scale than India’s leading UPI platforms. The coming months will determine whether WhatsApp can turn its massive messaging user base into sustained growth in digital payments or whether the country’s UPI market will continue to remain firmly dominated by its established leaders.
