India exports UPI, but its tech events say “cash only”

#India exports #UPI innovation to the world.
But at our own tech events… “#Cash Only.” Let that sink in!

Even the delegates at the #AIIndiaImpactSummit2026 faced a similar issue!
The board outside the food stall read: “No UPI. Cash only.”

I believe one of the major reasons for this behaviour is “Cheaters.”
Because in large crowds:
- Some people take goods but don’t pay
- Some show fake UPI screenshots
- Some underpay, hoping the rush hides it
Even with soundboxes and real-time alerts, leakages happen.
And when volumes are high, even a small % of fraud becomes massive.

So vendors fall back to what feels safest:
Physical currency. Immediate control. Zero ambiguity!

What could be an alternate solution?
Imagine this:
1️⃣ Customer scans QR
2️⃣ Menu opens
3️⃣ Order + payment completed online
4️⃣ System generates a token number + order QR
5️⃣ Vendor displays token when ready
6️⃣ Vendor scans the order QR before handing over

No payment screenshot drama.
No confusion.
No manual reconciliation.

The first half already exists.
The token-QR linked verification layer is the missing piece that AI should be able to build in no time!

Have you noticed this trend at major events too?

#Payments #Fintechs #HumanBehaviour #Money LinkedIn News India #Frauds #Innovation