In this article
UPI isn't one payment method — it's three flows, and the one you default to decides how many prepaid orders you actually collect. Intent opens the shopper's UPI app pre-filled; collect pushes a request to their UPI ID; QR shows a code to scan. The short answer: intent first on mobile, QR as the fallback, and never collect-only.
The three UPI flows
| Flow | How it works | Best for | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intent | Opens the UPI app with the amount pre-filled | Mobile — highest success | Can dead-end if the app can't complete; needs a QR fallback |
| Collect | Pushes a pay request to the shopper's VPA | A known UPI ID on desktop | Low success, timeouts, phishing wariness |
| QR | Shopper scans a code to pay | Cross-device and desktop | Needs a screen to display it |
Why intent + QR wins on mobile
Most Indian shoppers check out on a phone, and intent is the fewest taps to a paid order. Pair it with a QR fallback so a buyer whose app can't complete the intent can still scan — from the same phone or another. That combination is what a good UPI checkout for Shopify ships by default.
Why collect-only underperforms
A collect request lands as a notification the shopper has to find, open and approve — and many don't, or the request times out. As the only option it leaks conversions. Use it as a supplement, never the default.
Setting it up
The step-by-step is in UPI on Shopify: the setup.
How IndiSell does UPI
IndiSell leads with UPI intent on mobile and falls back to QR, so the highest-success path is always the default. See the checkout.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between UPI intent and collect? Intent opens the shopper's UPI app pre-filled; collect pushes a request to their UPI ID that they must find and approve. Intent converts far better on mobile.
Why does UPI collect fail so often? The request arrives as a notification the buyer has to locate and approve before it times out — many don't, so collect-only leaks sales.
Should I offer a UPI QR code at checkout? Yes, as a fallback — it lets a buyer pay from another device when an intent can't complete.
Start here
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