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Prompt to choose which payment methods to offer at checkout

What you get: A checkout method order with reasons, UPI app buttons and the first test. Copy it, fill in the parts in [BRACKETS], and run it in Kriyā or any AI assistant.

The prompt

You are a payments product manager. Decide which payment methods to show at checkout and in what order.

Business: [BUSINESS]
Average order: [AOV]
Customers: [CUSTOMERS]

Give:
1. The methods to show (UPI intent, UPI collect, cards, netbanking, wallets, EMI, cash on delivery) in order, with the reason for each position
2. Which UPI apps to show as buttons, using app market share
3. The cost of each method to us
4. What to do about cash on delivery
5. The checkout metrics to watch and the first test to run

Rules:
- Use the India figures listed below and name the source and month next to each one you use.
- If you need a figure that is not listed, write "Assumption:" and give your reasoning instead of a number you cannot source.
- Plain words. Short sections with headings. No filler.

India figures to use (from productgrowth.in/numbers):
- PhonePe is the biggest UPI app, with 10.91 billion transactions or 45.57% of UPI app volume in September 2026, according to NPCI's UPI Applications data. Source: https://productgrowth.in/numbers/upi-app-market-share-india/
- UPI processed 24.07 billion transactions worth ₹29.37 lakh crore in September 2026, according to NPCI data. Source: https://productgrowth.in/numbers/upi-transactions-per-month-india/
- Indians spent ₹2.02 lakh crore on credit cards in August 2026, according to RBI card statistics: ₹79,355 crore at shops and ₹1,22,980 crore online. Source: https://productgrowth.in/numbers/credit-card-spends-india/
- India had 124.05 million credit cards in circulation in August 2026 (RBI). Source: https://productgrowth.in/numbers/credit-cards-india/
Run this in Kriyā → Kriyā opens with this prompt in its box; nothing is sent until you press send. Replace the [BRACKETS] first.

What to fill in

ReplaceWithExample (used for the sample answer)
[BUSINESS]Your businessAn electronics accessories store
[AOV]Average order value₹1,800
[CUSTOMERS]Who buysYoung buyers across India, 60% on mobile web

The numbers this prompt uses

The prompt carries these figures so the answer starts from dated, sourced numbers instead of guesses. Each page shows the source, the month and the history.

Sample answer

Sample answer from Kriyā, 26 October 2026, for the example inputs above. Kept as it came back; links added beside each figure.

Order at checkout (₹1,800 basket, young, 60% mobile web) your input Kriyā's estimate

  1. UPI intent (app buttons): first, because UPI is how India pays at this ticket size. NPCI processed 24.07 billion transactions worth ₹29.37 lakh crore in September 2026 (NPCI, via productgrowth.in/numbers). Intent opens the app directly, so there's no VPA typing and fewer drop-offs on mobile web. source
  2. Cards (debit/credit): second. Credit cards are a real option for this age group: 124.05 million in circulation in August 2026 (RBI) [6], and ₹1,22,980 crore of the ₹2.02 lakh crore spent in August 2026 was online (RBI card statistics, via productgrowth.in/numbers).
  3. Cash on delivery: third, shown clearly so COD-first buyers don't leave (see COD section).
  4. EMI: only on a card tab, and only above a basket threshold. Assumption: at ₹1,800, EMI rarely matters, so show it from roughly ₹3,000 upward. your input Kriyā's estimate
  5. Netbanking: collapsed under "More options".
  6. Wallets: collapsed with netbanking. Assumption: low usage among young UPI-first buyers.
  7. UPI collect: last, only as "Pay with UPI ID" on desktop. Collect needs the user to find and approve a request, and fails more on mobile web than intent. Also, check your gateway's current collect support, as NPCI has been restricting it.

UPI app buttons

PhonePe is #1 with 10.91 billion transactions, 45.57% of UPI app volume in September 2026 (NPCI UPI Applications data, via productgrowth.in/numbers). Show PhonePe first, then the next two or three apps by share. I don't have their share figures, so Assumption: Google Pay and Paytm sit next, and Paytm's share should be checked against NPCI's latest table. Add "Other UPI apps" as a fourth button. Reorder by your own checkout data after 4 weeks. source

Cost to you

Assumption: I have no sourced rates, so check your Razorpay/Cashfree/PayU contract.

  • UPI: MDR (merchant discount rate, the fee the merchant pays) has been zero on UPI. Verify your gateway contract for any platform fee.
  • Cards, netbanking, wallets: gateway MDR applies, typically a percentage of the order. Credit cards cost more than debit.
  • EMI: highest cost, often with subvention (you fund the interest-free offer).
  • COD: no gateway fee, but courier COD fees plus return-to-origin (RTO) losses. Often the most expensive method per delivered order.

Cash on delivery

  • Keep it, but gate it. Offer COD only on pincodes where RTO is acceptable.
  • Add a ₹30-50 COD fee or a prepaid discount of similar size. Assumption: ₹1,800 is high enough for a ₹50 nudge to move people to UPI. your input Kriyā's estimate
  • Confirm COD orders by WhatsApp/OTP before dispatch.
  • Cap COD for first-time buyers on high-value baskets.

Metrics to watch

  • Payment success rate by method and by bank/UPI app
  • Checkout-to-payment-page conversion, and payment-page-to-paid conversion
  • COD share of orders, and COD RTO rate vs prepaid RTO rate
  • UPI intent app-switch drop-off (user leaves, never returns)
  • Cost per successful order, by method

First test

Run an A/B on the payment page. Control: your current order. Variant: UPI intent buttons first (PhonePe leading), COD third with a ₹40 fee. Primary metric: paid orders per payment-page visitor. Guardrail: total order conversion and RTO rate. Kriyā's estimate

Do you know your current COD share and RTO rate? That sets how aggressive the COD fee can be.

Beside each figure: source links the number page it comes from, your input means it came from the example inputs, and Kriyā's estimate marks a figure Kriyā worked out or assumed with no source given; check those before you use them. Your own run will differ.

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