No payment gateway, no percentage cut, no app for the parent to install. Here's what's actually happening behind that "tap to pay" link.
A UPI ID (something like yourname@upi) is all that's needed to receive money instantly, straight into your own bank account. A UPI payment link is just a specially formatted web address that, when tapped on a phone, opens whatever UPI app the parent already has — Google Pay, PhonePe, Paytm, or their bank's own app — with your UPI ID and the exact amount already filled in. They only need to confirm and enter their own UPI PIN.
Payment gateways (the kind used by online stores) usually take a small percentage of every transaction and can hold the money for a day or two before it reaches your account. A UPI link isn't a gateway at all — it's a direct instruction to the parent's own UPI app to pay your UPI ID. The money moves straight from their bank account to yours, the same way it would if they scanned your QR code in person.
| Payment gateway | UPI payment link | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee taken | Usually 1.5–3% | None |
| Money reaches you | Often after a delay | Instantly, same as any UPI payment |
| Parent needs to install anything | Sometimes | No — uses their existing UPI app |
Since the money moves directly and doesn't pass through any third party, it's worth asking parents to share a quick payment screenshot after they pay — a simple habit that gives you a record without needing any separate accounting.
Tuition Khata builds this exact link automatically for each student and each month, and keeps a running record of who's paid and who hasn't. It's free, and parents never need to install anything.
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