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Digital payments galore across the length and breadth of the country. According to the RBI's Payment Systems Report, digital payments in the country were recorded at 12,520 crore in the first six months of 2025, a 29.7 per cent increase over the corresponding period a year ago. Sequentially, the transaction volumes registered an increase of 12.5 per cent. The report -- capturing payment statistics, regulatory developments and technological advances reshaping the country's payment systems -- comes at a time when the Centre's GST 2.0 reforms and the ongoing festive season have encouraged people to dining out more.

Here are 10 key takeaways from the report:

1. In terms of value, digital transactions were recorded at Rs 1,536 lakh crore, up 15.7 per cent compared to the year-ago period and 7.3 per cent over the six months ended December 31.

2. Total payments -- comprising digital transactions like RTGS, retail and retail digital transactions, and paper-based transactions -- grew 12.4 per cent sequentially and 29.5 per cent annually to 12,549 crore in the January-June period. In value terms, total payments grew 7.2 per cent and 15.2 per cent on quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year bases to Rs 1,572 crore, according to the data.

3. Except for paper-based instruments -- such as cheques, all categories staged growth, reflecting steady growth in the country's digital payments ecosystem thanks to better accessibility and user adoption, and a robust acceptance infrastructure.

(Instrument-wise payment volumes in Jan-June 2025)

4. In volume terms, UPI made up 84.8 per cent of the total payments in the six-month period, according to RBI data. In fact, UPI, NEFT and prepaid instruments make up 91.9 per cent of the total payments.

5. In value terms, RTGS held the maximum share in these payments, at 68.7 per cent, according to the report. NEFT accounts for the second-highest value in total payments, at 15.1 per cent.

(Instrument-wise payment value in Jan-June 2025)

6. Within digital payments, RTGS transactions were recorded at 16 crore in the six-month period, as against 15 crore each in the previous six months and the January-June 2024 period. Their value was logged at Rs 1,079 crore in January-June 2025, as against Rs 1,007 crore and Rs 931 crore in the July-December 2024 and January-June 2024 periods, respectively.

7. Out of the total payments, digital transactions accounted for 99.8 per cent and 97.7 per cent in volume and value terms, respectively, with the usage of credit and debit cards growing rapidly, though QR codes and online payments remain the first choice.

8. Spending on food and dining out grew significantly, with payments at eateries and restaurants making up one-fifth of the total UPI transactions.

9. Mixed trends were found in terms of payment system infrastructure -- or the networks through which transactions were made.

10. While debit cards, credit cards, point of sales (PoS) terminals and QR codes exhibited an upward trend, PPI wallets and micro ATMs registered a decline in end-June 2025 compared with end-December 2025, according to the RBI.

The RBI report showcases the continuing expansion of UPI payments that have transformed digital payments in the country, and led to significant enhancements across payment instruments while promoting a diversified and inclusive payments ecosystem.