• Paytm users are being levied extra charges for mobile top-up

    Sci & Tech
    Paytm users are being levied extra charges for mobile top-up

    Paytm users report costs ranging from Rs 1 to Rs 6 for mobile recharges.


    Digital Desk: Paytm has reportedly started charging some of its users a modest fee for mobile recharges made through the banking platform. Depending on the size of the recharge, this fee can range from Rs 1 to Rs 6. The cost is applied to cellphone recharges made using UPI or a credit/debit card from a bank.


    As of the time of writing, the cost does not apply to all Paytm customers, but as with most changes that roll out gradually, it could affect more Paytm users in the coming days.


    According to reports, users initially discovered the additional price in early March, when they observed the platform charging a tiny convenience fee on transactions of Rs 100 and higher.


    Paytm guaranteed users in 2019 that it would not impose any convenience or transaction fees, regardless of how they paid. Paytm's strategies, on the other hand, appear to be shifting to produce more revenue.


    In October last year, PhonePe, a Paytm competitor, began charging users a 'processing fee' on cellphone recharges over Rs 50. What the corporation described as a "small-scale experience" affected hundreds of people who took to social media to complain about the extra charge.


    Neither platform has indicated how it determines whether or not a user is required to pay additional convenience or processing costs.


    Customers who want to avoid the extra fees are switching their recharge tasks to other payment platforms like Google Pay and Amazon Pay, which do not now charge users any additional fees. 


    In addition, major telecom companies in India, such as Airtel, Jio, and Vodafone Idea, offer their applications for Android and iOS that allow in-app recharging via UPI and other payment methods.


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