PayU’s new accessible checkout aims to make online payments easier for visually impaired users

PayU has launched what it describes as India’s first RBI-compliant payment checkout designed for people who are blind or visually impaired. The new checkout aims to allow users to navigate digital payment pages, select payment options and complete transactions independently using accessibility-focused features.

The launch comes ahead of Independence Day and is positioned by PayU as an effort to make digital payments more accessible to consumers with disabilities. The company says the checkout complies with the RBI’s October 2024 accessibility mandate, under which digital payment providers are required to ensure their digital products and services follow accessibility standards for persons with disabilities under BIS IS 17802.

What is PayU’s Accessible Payments Checkout?

The checkout is designed to address difficulties that blind and visually impaired users can face while navigating conventional online payment pages.

Its features include screen-reader optimisation, adaptive user profiles, visual inclusivity modes and text resizing. The aim is to make different stages of a digital payment easier to understand and navigate without requiring assistance from another person.

For users who depend on screen readers, the checkout can communicate elements of the payment process through voice commands. Users can navigate payment options, including UPI and net banking, verify the transaction amount and proceed with the payment.

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How can users make payments?

For consumers, the payment process remains part of the regular online checkout journey. When a participating merchant uses PayU’s accessible checkout, a user can access the payment page through a screen reader, choose a payment method, check transaction details and complete the payment.

The platform also allows users to personalise the interface. Options such as cursor size, button dimensions and navigation aids can be adjusted according to individual requirements. Preferences can also be saved, modified or reset.

This means users do not necessarily have to configure the same accessibility settings every time they make a payment.

What about users with low vision?

The accessibility features are not limited to people who use screen readers. PayU says people with low vision, colour blindness or light sensitivity can use visual modes including high contrast, greyscale, colour inversion and saturation adjustments.

Text can also be enlarged to up to 200% of the standard size. According to PayU, the enlarged text is designed to remain usable without overlapping or obscuring other elements on the payment page.

What does PayU say?

Manas Mishra, Chief Product Officer, PayU and Wibmo, said financial inclusion requires people to be able to access and use digital payments independently.

“True financial inclusion is only possible when every individual can access and use digital payments independently,” Mishra said, adding that accessibility was being treated as a core design principle.

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What did users say?

Prashant Ranjan Verma, General Secretary of the National Association for the Blind, Delhi, said he was able to complete a UPI payment independently using VoiceOver.

He welcomed PayU’s efforts to make digital payments more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, while calling for continued improvements in accessibility.

Do merchants need new integrations?

According to PayU, merchants already using its payment gateway do not need to make changes to their existing integrations to offer the accessibility-focused checkout. The accessibility features are embedded within the checkout experience.

The launch comes as digital payments become increasingly embedded in everyday activities such as shopping and bill payments. For visually impaired users, the ability to independently understand payment information, select a payment method and confirm a transaction can reduce reliance on assistance and make digital payments more accessible.

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