NEW DELHI: PayU has launched Accessible Payments Checkout, which it describes as India’s first RBI-compliant payment checkout designed specifically to enable blind and visually impaired users to make digital payments more independently.

The launch comes ahead of Independence Day and marks a significant step towards greater accessibility and inclusion in India’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem.

PayU said the new checkout complies with the Reserve Bank of India’s October 2024 accessibility mandate and BIS IS 17802. The platform is designed to improve navigation, discoverability and interaction for users with visual and cognitive accessibility needs.

The Accessible Payments Checkout features full screen-reader optimisation, adaptive user profiles, visual inclusivity modes and text resizing.

The screen-reader optimisation enables users to navigate the entire payment journey through voice assistance, from selecting payment methods such as UPI, net banking and QR payments to confirming the amount and completing transactions.

The adaptive user profile feature allows users to customise elements such as cursor size, button dimensions and navigation aids. Users can save, switch or reset their preferences according to their individual requirements.

The checkout also offers visual accessibility options, including high-contrast, greyscale, colour inversion and saturation adjustments, supporting users with low vision, colour blindness and light sensitivity.

Text can be enlarged up to 200% of its standard size without overlapping or hiding content, enabling users with visual impairments to read and interact with the payment interface more easily.

Manas Mishra, Chief Product Officer, PayU and Wibmo, said financial inclusion can only be achieved when everyone can access and use digital payments independently. He said accessibility has been incorporated as a core design principle in the new checkout to help merchants deliver more inclusive payment experiences.

Prashant Ranjan Verma, General Secretary, National Association for the Blind, Delhi, welcomed the initiative and said he was able to independently complete a UPI payment using the accessibility-first checkout with VoiceOver.

PayU said merchants using its payment gateway do not need to modify their existing integrations to offer the accessible checkout. Accessibility features are embedded into the payment experience, allowing merchants to extend an accessibility-focused payment journey to customers with disabilities.

The initiative is expected to strengthen accessibility in India’s digital payments ecosystem and support wider participation of people with disabilities in the digital economy.