LAB / EXPERIMENT

UPI Flow Tracer

Trace a single ₹20 payment from your phone to the recipient's bank. Watch it hop through PSPs, NPCI, and banks. Toggle the data trail to see what each entity records about your transaction.

Related reading: How UPI Actually Works

[ ]
PhoneYour Phone
{P}
PSPPhonePe (PSP)
(N)
NPCINPCI Switch
[B]
Bank AYour Bank
[B]
Bank BRecipient's Bank
[ ]
R-PSPRecipient's App

Tap "Pay ₹20" to trace a UPI payment from your phone to the chai-wallah's bank and back.

What This Shows

Every UPI payment passes through a central switch (NPCI) that sees both sides of the transaction. The payment completes in approximately 2 seconds, but the data trail it leaves behind is permanent.

Notice the data trail: five separate entities now have records about your ₹20 chai. Your PSP knows your spending patterns and location. NPCI sees every transaction in India. Your bank knows your balance. Together, they hold a complete picture of your financial life.

The question of who can access this data, where it's stored, and under what laws it's governed is the subject of Data Localisation in India.

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