Generate UPI Intent API

The Generate UPI Intent API enables merchants to create UPI payment intents dynamically on the server. This allows mobile applications to invoke installed UPI apps (Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM, Cred) via deep linking, or web applications to display dynamic payment QR codes for scanning.

HTTP Method: POST

Environment

Environment	URL
Test Environment	`<redacted URL>`
Production Environment	`https://info.payu.in/v1/intent`

Request Headers

Parameter	Description
date	The current date and time. For example, format of the date is Wed, 28 Jun 2023 11:25:19 GMT.
authorization	The actual HMAC signature generated using the specified algorithm (sha512) and includes the hashed data. For more information, refer to authorization fields description.

authorization fields description

Field	Description
username	Represents the username or identifier for the client or merchant, for example smsplus.
algorithm	Use SHA512 algorithm for hashing and send this as header value.
headers	Specifies which headers have been used in generating the hash, for example date.
signature	The HMAC signature generated using the specified algorithm. For more information, refer to hashing algorithm.

hashing algorithm

You must hash the request parameters using the following hash logic:

Hash logic: sha512(`<Body data>` + '|' + date + '|' + merchant_secret)

Where <Body data> contains the request body posted with the request.

Sample header code

  var merchant_key = '<YOUR_TEST_KEY>';
  var merchant_secret = 'YOUR_TEST_SALT';
  // date
  var date = new Date();
  date = date.toUTCString();

  // authorization
  var authorization = getAuthHeader(date);

  function getAuthHeader(date) {
      var AUTH_TYPE = 'sha512';
      var data = isEmpty(request['data']) ? "" : request['data'];
      var hash_string = data + '|' + date + '|' + merchant_secret;
      var hash = CryptoJS.SHA512(hash_string).toString(CryptoJS.enc.Hex);
      return `hmac username="${merchant_key}", algorithm="${AUTH_TYPE}", headers="date", signature="${hash}"`;
  }

Header	Type	Description
`Content-Type`	String	Must be `application/json`.
`Date`	String	Current GMT timestamp (e.g. `Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT`).
`Authorization`	String	Standard PayU HMAC authorization header.

Request Body Parameters

Mandatory parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`transactionId`	`String` Unique merchant transaction identifier (`txnId`). Must be unique for every payment request.	`TXN_UPI_9829f68`
`transactionAmount`	`String` Amount to be paid by the customer, formatted with two decimal places (`XX.XX`).	`190.00`
`expiryTime`	`String` Intent validity window in seconds. After this duration, the intent expires.	`600`

Optional parameters

Parameter	Description	Example
`refUrl`	`String` Reference URL for the transaction or merchant application callback.	`<redacted URL>`
`category`	`String` Merchant Category Code (MCC) identifier for reporting purposes.	`5411`

Sample Request

curl --location 'https://info.payu.in/v1/intent' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT' \
--header 'Authorization: hmac username="<YOUR_MERCHANT_KEY>", algorithm="sha512", headers="date", signature="<YOUR_SIGNATURE>"' \
--data '{
    "transactionId": "TXN_UPI_9829f68",
    "transactionAmount": "190.00",
    "expiryTime": "600",
    "refUrl": "<redacted URL>",
    "category": "5411"
}'

import requests
import json

url = "https://info.payu.in/v1/intent"

headers = {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Date": "Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT",
    "Authorization": "hmac username=\"<YOUR_MERCHANT_KEY>\", algorithm=\"sha512\", headers=\"date\", signature=\"<YOUR_SIGNATURE>\""
}

payload = {
    "transactionId": "TXN_UPI_9829f68",
    "transactionAmount": "190.00",
    "expiryTime": "600",
    "refUrl": "<redacted URL>",
    "category": "5411"
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=payload)
print(response.json())

<?php
$url = "https://info.payu.in/v1/intent";

$payload = json_encode([
    "transactionId" => "TXN_UPI_9829f68",
    "transactionAmount" => "190.00",
    "expiryTime" => "600",
    "refUrl" => "<redacted URL>",
    "category" => "5411"
]);

$ch = curl_init($url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POST, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    "Content-Type: application/json",
    "Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT",
    "Authorization: hmac username=\"<YOUR_MERCHANT_KEY>\", algorithm=\"sha512\", headers=\"date\", signature=\"<YOUR_SIGNATURE>\""
]);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS, $payload);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

echo $response;
?>

import java.net.URI;
import java.net.http.HttpClient;
import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
import java.net.http.HttpResponse;

public class PayURequest {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        HttpClient client = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
        
        String payload = "{\"transactionId\": \"TXN_UPI_9829f68\", \"transactionAmount\": \"190.00\", \"expiryTime\": \"600\", \"refUrl\": \"<redacted URL>", \"category\": \"5411\"}";
        
        HttpRequest request = HttpRequest.newBuilder()
            .uri(URI.create("https://info.payu.in/v1/intent"))
            .header("Content-Type", "application/json")
            .header("Date", "Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT")
            .header("Authorization", "hmac username=\"<YOUR_MERCHANT_KEY>\", algorithm=\"sha512\", headers=\"date\", signature=\"<YOUR_SIGNATURE>\"")
            .POST(HttpRequest.BodyPublishers.ofString(payload))
            .build();
        
        HttpResponse<String> response = client.send(request, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
        System.out.println(response.body());
    }
}

const url = "https://info.payu.in/v1/intent";

const payload = {
  transactionId: "TXN_UPI_9829f68",
  transactionAmount: "190.00",
  expiryTime: "600",
  refUrl: "<redacted URL>",
  category: "5411"
};

const options = {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
    "Date": "Tue, 17 Jun 2025 06:48:55 GMT",
    "Authorization": "hmac username=\"<YOUR_MERCHANT_KEY>\", algorithm=\"sha512\", headers=\"date\", signature=\"<YOUR_SIGNATURE>\""
  },
  body: JSON.stringify(payload)
};

fetch(url, options)
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(error => console.error("Error:", error));

Response Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
`message`	String	Status description of the API call.	`Success`
`status`	Number	Outcome flag: `1` for success, `0` for failure.	`1`
`result.intentId`	String	Standard `upi://pay` URI string formatted for deep linking.	`upi://pay?pa=payumoney@hdfcbank&...`
`result.intentUri`	String	Direct URI compatible with Android and iOS native intent handlers.	`upi://pay?pa=payumoney@hdfcbank&...`
`result.intentUrl`	String	Web-hosted checkout URL for customer browser display.	`https://secure.payu.in/omni?id=000b`
`result.intentUrlWithQR`	String	Web URL rendering a dynamic QR code for desktop/mobile scanning.	`https://secure.payu.in/omni?id=000b`
`result.transactionId`	String	Merchant transaction identifier confirmed by the engine.	`TXN_UPI_9829f68`
`result.expiryTime`	Number	Validity duration in seconds.	`600`

Sample Response

{
  "message": "Success",
  "status": 1,
  "result": {
    "intentId": "upi://pay?pa=payumoney@hdfcbank&pn=MerchantEnterprise&tr=TXN_UPI_9829f68&am=190.00&cu=INR&mc=5411&tn=Order%20Payment",
    "intentUri": "upi://pay?pa=payumoney@hdfcbank&pn=MerchantEnterprise&tr=TXN_UPI_9829f68&am=190.00&cu=INR&mc=5411&tn=Order%20Payment",
    "intentUrl": "https://secure.payu.in/omni?id=000b",
    "intentUrlWithQR": "https://secure.payu.in/omni?id=000b",
    "transactionId": "TXN_UPI_9829f68",
    "expiryTime": 600
  }
}

Next Steps

After generating the UPI intent URI (intentURI) and QR code link (qrUrl), integrate the customer presentation and payment confirmation steps:

Present Payment Options on Merchant UI:
- Mobile Web / Apps: Detect installed UPI applications (GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, BHIM) and trigger the application chooser using the intentURI (upi://pay?...).
- Desktop Web: Display dynamic QR codes by rendering the returned qrUrl or generating a local SVG/Canvas QR using the intentURI string so the customer can scan and pay from their mobile device.
Set Up Real-time Payment Status Polling:
Because UPI Intent transactions are completed asynchronously on the customer's UPI app:
- Implement client-side polling or a WebSocket listener against your server to check transaction completion.
- Query transaction status server-to-server using the Verify Payment API or check recent activity via the Get Transaction Details API.
Handle Intent Expiry & Timeouts:
- If the payment is not completed within the designated expiryTime window, expire the QR code/intent link on your frontend.
- Give the customer the option to retry by generating a fresh intent request with a new or same transactionId.
Listen to Webhooks:
Ensure your server's webhook endpoint is configured to consume PayU's asynchronous payment notifications for final transaction reconciliation.