PhonePe and OpenAI have joined hands to offer a smarter payments experience utilising the ChatGPT chatbot. The latest partnership now integrates the ChatGPT chatbot directly into the PhonePe app, promising smarter decision-making for everyday transactions and beyond. This hasn’t been done in the fintech industry yet, where AI is now part of the UPI payments app.
PhonePe, with over 500 million users, will now embed ChatGPT-led experiences across its consumer and business apps. Users can now use the AI for real-time assistance on tasks like trip planning, product recommendations, and informed purchases, all without leaving the app. PhonePe clarifies that while the full ChatGPT interface won’t be available, specific AI features will enhance user interactions.
“Our collaboration with PhonePe is a significant milestone in our mission to make AI more accessible to people throughout India. India is a global hub for innovation, and PhonePe’s deep understanding of the country’s fabric and its user base make them the ideal partner. This partnership will demonstrate the immense value of consumer AI across India, helping millions of users enhance their daily lives,” says Oliver Jay, Head of International at OpenAI.
ChatGPT in PhonePe: Key features
The integration focuses on practical, AI-enhanced utilities tailored for Indian users and their payment scenarios. For example, you can query ChatGPT within the PhonePe app for budget-friendly flight options or merchant reviews before making a UPI transaction. This allows for delivering context-aware insights before making spending decisions.
PhonePe also mentions that OpenAI will be able to utilise the Indus Appstore.
OpenAI has been gradually joining hands with several industry players to encourage AI adoption in more apps and services. Lately, OpenAI has been actively expanding its footprint in the country by establishing the company’s first physical office in Mumbai, a Rs 20,000 crore investment in a 1GW data centre, and collaborations with Razorpay and NPCI for AI-enabled UPI payments via ChatGPT.
The tie-up with Razorpay already enables agentic AI transactions, hinting at a broader wave of conversational e-commerce.
In an effort to extend ChatGPT’s approval in the country, the company recently came up with a promotional offer. OpenAI is offering free access to ChatGPT Go for a period of 12 months to all Indian users, expecting people to utilise its advanced features and buy in to the more feature-laden packs.
