Is an ATM card necessary for UPI?

No, an ATM or debit card is not strictly necessary to use UPI. While traditionally required, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) now allows Aadhaar-based OTP authentication for setting up or resetting a UPI PIN. To use this feature:

• Your bank must support Aadhaar-based UPI registration.
• Your mobile number must be linked to both your bank account and your Aadhaar.
• You must provide the first six digits of your Aadhaar for verification.

This allows users without physical cards to enjoy seamless digital payments.