BIG challenge for GPay, Paytm and PhonePe as made-in-India Zoho enters payment race with its own…..

The Zoho payment terminal supports 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. Merchants can accept payments via chip cards, UPI, and QR codes using this device.

Indian tech company Zoho is making headlines again. After the success of its instant messaging app Arattai, which has even caught the government’s attention, the company is now preparing to make a big move into the hardware market. Zoho has started selling Point of Sale (POS) machines, which include integrated QR devices and sound boxes. Currently, Paytm and PhonePe dominate India’s POS device market, and their machines are commonly seen in retail stores.

Under the brand Zoho Payments, the company has launched a new smart POS device that could give tough competition to Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay. This smart POS terminal comes with a touchscreen display and an inbuilt printer that can instantly print receipts.

The Zoho payment terminal supports 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. Merchants can accept payments via chip cards, UPI, and QR codes using this device.

According to the CEO of Zoho Payments, this step is a “natural expansion” of their payment business, which began in 2024 as a software-based payment solution. At that time, Zoho offered payment support for any online device. Now, with the introduction of hardware, the company has taken a major step forward.

Since Zoho already provides tools for small business management, these features are integrated into the payment terminal as well. This means merchants can manage real-time payment tracking, billing, and accounting—all in one place.

Zoho also offers a unified dashboard for businesses, allowing retailers and merchants to easily view all payment and billing information. For added protection, the devices are PCI DSS certified, ensuring high standards of security and data privacy.

Arattai gaining popularity in India

WhatsApp is currently the most widely used instant messaging app in India, but now a new Indian alternative, Zoho’s Arattai app is quickly catching people’s attention. The app offers chatting, calling, and video meeting features, all developed locally.

So far, Arattai does not yet offer end-to-end encryption, but the company has confirmed that this important security feature will be added soon.

End-to-end encryption is considered the gold standard for chat privacy and security, as it ensures that no one, not even the company itself, can access users’ chat data. Without encryption, there’s always a risk that personal information could be accessed by hackers or other parties.

WhatsApp, on the other hand, has had end-to-end encryption for years, which has also been independently audited by security researchers. It will be interesting to see how India’s homegrown Arattai app competes with the global giant WhatsApp in the coming months.