itel, a leading mobile brand in India, has partnered with PhonePe to make digital payments more accessible to feature phone users across the country. Under the partnership, PhonePe UPI 123Pay will come pre-bundled on selected itel feature phones, allowing users to make UPI payments without requiring a smartphone or an internet connection.
The partnership is aimed at expanding access to digital payments among consumers in rural and semi-urban markets, where smartphone ownership and reliable internet connectivity can still be limited. By bringing UPI functionality to feature phones, itel and PhonePe are working to make everyday digital transactions simpler and more accessible for a wider section of consumers across India.
Through PhonePe UPI 123Pay, users of compatible itel feature phones can make peer-to-peer (P2P) money transfers using mobile numbers or UPI IDs, as well as merchant payments through UPI IDs and QR codes. Users can also check their account balance and transaction history directly through their feature phones.
Commenting on the partnership, Arijit Talapatra, CEO, itel India, said, “At itel, our focus has always been on making technology accessible and useful for every Indian, especially consumers in smaller towns, rural markets and communities that are often underserved by the latest digital solutions. Our partnership with PhonePe is a natural extension of this commitment. By bringing UPI payments to our feature phones, we are making digital payments simpler and more accessible for millions of consumers who may not use smartphones or have no regular access to the internet. We believe this collaboration will help bring more people into India’s growing digital payments ecosystem.”
Speaking on the launch, Sameer Nigam, Founder and CEO, PhonePe, said, “Over the last decade, UPI has completely transformed how India pays–a journey PhonePe is proud to have built alongside it from day one. As we reflect on how far we have come, the logical next step is expanding the horizon even further and unlocking what’s next. Bringing UPI to feature phones through PhonePe UPI 123Pay extends the benefits of digital payments beyond smartphones to every corner of the country. To us, this is what building for India actually means- meeting people where they are to drive a truly universal wave of financial inclusion that will onboard the next 300 million users into the digital financial fold.”
The service will be available on compatible itel feature phones as a pre-installed application. Users can register by opening the PhonePe application, selecting their bank, entering the required debit card details, and setting their UPI PIN. Once registered, users can make UPI transactions directly through their feature phones.
For itel, the partnership further strengthens its focus on bringing relevant and affordable technology to consumers beyond India’s major cities. With its strong presence across Tier 2, Tier 3 and 4 along with rural markets, the brand continues to focus on products and services that address everyday consumer needs while making technology more accessible.
The collaboration with PhonePe also comes at a time when digital payments have become an integral part of everyday transactions in India. By extending UPI access to feature phones, the partnership seeks to make digital payments available to consumers who may not yet have moved to smartphones.
