Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is like a super handy tool that combines all your different bank accounts into one app on your phone. It makes things really easy – you can send money to your friends, pay at shops, and even ask your friends for money. The cool part is that you can use this app on any type of phone – Android, Windows, or iOS. Each bank has its own version of the app, so it's like having all your banks in your pocket, making money stuff super convenient!
Now, here's an interesting twist: In the United States, they mostly use debit or credit cards from big companies like VISA or Mastercard. These cards are a big deal, and there's a reason why the U.S. doesn't have something like UPI. You see, in the U.S., companies can lobby, which means they can talk to the government and try to influence decisions. So, when other countries were creating their new payment systems, U.S. officials convinced them to make rules less strict, just because big card companies didn't want anything affecting their profits. This kind of lobbying is strong in the U.S., and it happened in India too when the government wanted to limit Visa and Mastercard. These companies talked to the U.S. Trade Representative, saying they were worried about fair competition, and the U.S. Trade Representative wrote a memo supporting them.
