UPI 123Pay on Jio: the two-call payment, explained

Update, 1 November 2026: From version 1.5.0, Daak uses this same 123Pay call on every SIM, not just Jio: Airtel, Vi and BSNL too. Here's why. Everything below applies to all of them.

If you're on Jio and tried dialing *99#, you probably got nothing. An error, or a polite silence. That's not your phone. Jio's network runs entirely on 4G VoLTE, and USSD codes like *99# need older signalling that Jio simply doesn't have.

So on Jio, offline UPI goes through UPI 123Pay: a payment you make on an ordinary phone call. When I first tried it on a Jio SIM, one thing caught me off guard. The call hangs up on you. On purpose. Let's walk through it, so it doesn't catch you off guard too.

Call one: you tell 123Pay what to do

You dial 080 4516 3666 and a voice menu picks up. You choose to send money, type the receiver's 10-digit mobile number on the keypad, then the amount.

Then the call ends. You didn't do anything wrong. That's the design.

The pause

For a few seconds, nothing happens. 123Pay is getting the payment ready with your bank. This is the moment most people panic and hit redial. Don't. Put the kettle on. Well, maybe not the whole kettle. Just wait a few seconds.

Call two: 123Pay calls you back

Your phone rings. It's 123Pay. Answer it. The call-back is how the system makes sure it's really your phone asking for the payment, and not someone pretending to be you.

The voice reads the payment back to you. Press 1 to confirm, then type your UPI PIN on the call keypad. Done.

Then comes the SMS

A few seconds later, your bank texts you: money sent, the amount, and a reference number. That SMS is your proof of payment. Keep it. If you ever need to raise a dispute, the reference number is what your bank will ask for.

The very first time

If this SIM has never used 123Pay, call one turns into a short setup instead: pick your language, pick your bank, then set or confirm your UPI PIN. If you already have a PIN from another UPI app, it usually works here too. If you've never set one, keep your debit card nearby. You'll need the last 6 digits and the expiry date.

Daak asks about this once, when you first open it. Say you're new, and it shows a one-time sign-up screen before your first payment. It calls 123Pay without pressing a single key, so you can walk through the sign-up menu yourself, then carries on with the payment you were making.

What Daak does on Jio

Doing two calls by hand is fine once. Doing it at a busy counter, with someone waiting, is less fun. So Daak:

• Calls 123Pay and types the mobile number and amount for you, timed to the voice menu.
• Follows the call as it happens, so the screen changes with you: "Don't press anything", then "Wait for a call back", then "Answer the call!", then "Enter your UPI PIN".
• Marks the payment paid the moment your bank's SMS arrives, and shows a receipt.

Can I pay a QR code on Jio?

Sometimes. 123Pay sends the receiver's mobile number, not a UPI ID with letters in it. If a shop's QR has a UPI ID like 9876543210@ybl, Daak pulls the number out and pays that. If it's something like chaiwala@okaxis, there's no number to send, so ask the shop for their mobile number instead. Daak will tell you when this happens, so you're not left guessing.

Quick checklist

• Calling from the SIM that's linked to your bank? ✅
• Waiting through the hang-up instead of redialing? ✅
• Answering the call-back? ✅
• Typing your PIN on the call keypad and nowhere else? ✅

That's the whole dance: two calls, one PIN, one SMS. By your second payment it feels completely normal. By your third, you'll be explaining it to your friends.

New to offline UPI in general? Start with how to pay with UPI when there's no internet.