Do you have to use your cellphone number to avail UPI services?

If that is the case, then it is not for me.

Just to clear things up since some of the other comments seem unsure or have partial information, UPI requires a cell phone, a cell phone number and the bank account linked with the cell phone number. It cannot be used from a computer (IMPS, which is like UPI’s cousin with a slightly more cumbersome interface, can be used from a computer).

The primary form of UPI usage is from smartphone apps (provided by banks or by the operator of UPI, which is the NPCI BHIM app).

See the UPI overview page [1] by NPCI (a private consortium operating UPI, IMPS and a few other services).

[1]: https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/upi/product-overview

Thanks.

But if one just needs to send or receive money does one need to share one's cell phone number to this 2nd party?

GP here. No, you don’t necessarily have to share your cell phone number as the sender or as the receiver. But take note of the details below.

UPI assigns/allows one or more Virtual Payment Address (VPAs) for each account, which looks kinda like an email address. The default VPA is usually phone-number@bankname, but you can (and should) disable that default VPA (mainly because UPI also has a payment request mode where anyone can request anyone else for money and there are plenty of scams with that and enumerable phone numbers). Instead, create the VPA as some-random-name@bankname (assuming nobody else has taken that). The sender and the receiver would know the VPA of the counter-party as well as the full name of the person (the name gets displayed before confirming a payment, and is helpful to know that it’s going to the right person).

Also note that while some banks allow only one VPA for an account, some banks allow several VPAs for the same account (think of them as similar to what email aliases are for the same email account). So you could have mybusiness@bankname for your clients to send business payments, mybigdinnerparty@bankname for your friends to send their share of the dinner party bill, and so on — all linked to your name and the same bank account.

You don't need to - you can also share your unique UPI ID which is text like username@bankcode

I have created UPI ID directly with bank and there is no need of any third party app. It can be used to transfer money directly without sharing bank and card details.

You can receive money over UPI without a smartphone.

But sending money actively (as a customer) from a personal bank account is not possible afaik.

What no? My business, and my family business both run off the ability to make upi payments by just giving a UPI Id, amount and everything your pin. Quite often, i settle accounts with my friends over UPI. One of them pays for coffee, and i just upi him his share. And we work with our own personal savings accounts.

Needs a smartphone, that’s what I was pointing out.

UPI works on USSD[1]. You need a phone but not necessarily a smartphone.

[1] https://www.npci.org.in/what-we-do/99/product-overview

UPI primarily uses a virtual private address in the form of an email address.

You only need to disclose this vpa to the merchant.

It looks like username@statebank

You don't need to disclose your phone number or bank account number to the merchant if you don't want to as UPI has multiple address mechanisms.

You can also use QR

You need to have a bank account to use UPI. Banks require a phone number afaik.

Yes, I know that.

But does one need to share one's phone number to barely send or receive money?

nope. just your vpa.

Yes, UPI needs a phone number linked to your bank account.