Dhaal Pay: Revolutionizing UPI Payments with Smart Verification

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) has become a staple for instant money transfers in India. But with convenience comes risk—sending money to the wrong UPI ID or falling victim to fraud is a constant concern. Enter Dhaal Pay, an innovative mobile app designed to make digital payments safer, smarter, and more transparent.

Background

As digital payments surged, Praveen Thangavel, a UX Designer and Web Developer, observed a critical gap: users had no easy way to verify the authenticity of a UPI ID before transferring money. Many experienced failed transactions, scams, or delays due to incorrect UPI details.

The goal of Dhaal Pay was simple but ambitious: empower users to verify UPI IDs and enhance their financial safety while providing value-added tools for personal finance management.

Problem Statement

Users faced several challenges while transacting through UPI:

• No straightforward method to verify the validity and security of a UPI ID.
• Limited insight into transaction history or frequency of the recipient account.
• Lack of financial health insights to make informed decisions.

These issues often led to failed payments, fraud risks, and financial uncertainty.

Solution: Dhaal Pay

Dhaal Pay solves these problems through a clean, intuitive mobile app interface, featuring:

1. UPI Verification

• Users can instantly check the validity, age, and transaction activity of any UPI ID.
• The app provides a security status indicator to warn against potentially unsafe IDs.

2. Smart Redirection

• If an ID is invalid or suspicious, users are guided to redirect payments safely to another verified UPI account.

3. Financial Management Tools

• Expense Manager: Track daily expenses efficiently.
• Payment Due Reminders: Never miss loan or card payments.
• CIBIL Score Check: Monitor credit score in real-time.
• Personalized Tips: Improve credit health based on financial behavior.

4. User-Centric Design

• Clean, minimalistic UI for quick navigation.
• Easy-to-understand data visualizations for transaction stats and financial insights.
• Mobile-first design optimized for Android and iOS devices.

Design Process

Research

• Conducted user interviews and surveys to understand pain points in UPI transactions.
• Analyzed competitor apps and identified gaps in safety, usability, and trust.

Ideation

• Created user personas representing tech-savvy millennials, small business owners, and casual digital payment users.
• Sketched wireframes and flows for verification, transaction redirection, and financial tools.

Prototyping & Testing

• Developed interactive prototypes in Figma and Adobe XD.
• Conducted usability testing to ensure clarity, ease of use, and security perception.
• Iterated on color schemes, iconography, and data presentation based on feedback.

Impact

• Users report higher confidence while making UPI payments.
• Reduced failed or incorrect transactions, saving both time and money.
• Enhanced financial literacy with real-time insights and actionable recommendations.

Future Plans

• Integration with more banks and UPI apps for seamless verification.
• AI-powered fraud detection and alert system.
• Gamified financial tips to encourage better financial habits.

Conclusion

Dhaal Pay is more than a UPI verification tool—it’s a complete financial safety companion. By focusing on security, usability, and actionable insights, the app empowers users to transact confidently while managing their financial health.