PayU India vs Interakt: Which is Better in 2026?
By StackPicker editorial · · payment-gateway
Side-by-side comparison with INR pricing, GST and UPI considerations, integrations, pros and cons — written for Indian founders, marketers, and operators.
Quick verdict
Choose PayU India if
- Mid-to-large merchants with high transaction volumes
- Brands wanting BNPL via LazyPay
- Enterprises wanting custom MDR negotiations
Choose Interakt if
- D2C brands on Shopify wanting WhatsApp commerce
- E-commerce teams running abandoned cart on WhatsApp
- Brands launching click-to-WhatsApp ad funnels
At a glance
| Attribute | PayU India | Interakt |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 | 2020 |
| HQ | Gurugram | Bengaluru (Haptik / Jio) |
| Target market | India | India |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Free tier | No | No |
| Starts at | 2% per transaction | ₹2,499/mo Starter + Meta conversation charges |
| Currency | INR | INR |
| INR billing | Yes | Yes |
| UPI support | Yes | Yes |
| IST support | Mon-Fri 10am-7pm IST | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm IST |
PayU India pricing
INRModel: transaction
Free tier: No
Starts at: 2% per transaction
2% standard, custom MDR for enterprise. ₹0 setup. Settlement T+1 to T+2.
Interakt pricing
INRModel: subscription
Free tier: No
Starts at: ₹2,499/mo Starter + Meta conversation charges
Starter ₹2,499, Growth ₹5,499, Advanced ₹7,499. Meta charges separate.
Pros & cons
PayU India — Pros
- +Strong relationships with acquiring banks
- +Smart routing improves success rates at volume
- +Wide enterprise adoption — proven scale
- +BNPL native via LazyPay
- +Good fraud-detection tooling
PayU India — Cons
- −Developer experience trails Razorpay/Cashfree
- −Dashboard feels dated
- −Onboarding paperwork heavy for SMBs
- −Support cycles slow for non-enterprise accounts
- −No integrated payouts/neobank product
Interakt — Pros
- +Best-in-class Shopify integration
- +Abandoned cart recovery flows are pre-built
- +Solid commerce UX (catalog, checkout)
- +Backed by Jio Haptik infrastructure
- +Indian support team
Interakt — Cons
- −Pricier than AiSensy at the entry tier
- −Bot builder less powerful than enterprise tools
- −Conversation pricing on top of subscription
- −Reporting depth moderate
- −Limited beyond commerce-focused workflows
PayU India — Best for
- Mid-to-large merchants with high transaction volumes
- Brands wanting BNPL via LazyPay
- Enterprises wanting custom MDR negotiations
- Travel, EdTech, and BFSI verticals
PayU India — Not ideal for
- Indie SaaS founders wanting modern dev DX
- Startups needing a payouts/banking layer included
- Teams optimizing for the cleanest dashboard UX
Interakt — Best for
- D2C brands on Shopify wanting WhatsApp commerce
- E-commerce teams running abandoned cart on WhatsApp
- Brands launching click-to-WhatsApp ad funnels
- Indian SMBs new to WhatsApp Business API
Interakt — Not ideal for
- Enterprise CPaaS or BFSI use cases
- Pure customer support teams without commerce
- Teams needing voice or SMS in same platform
Indian context
PayU India
- INR billing: Yes
- UPI support: Yes
- GST: GST on MDR; invoice via dashboard
- IST support: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm IST
Interakt
- INR billing: Yes
- UPI support: Yes
- GST: GST charged on plans and conversations
- IST support: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm IST
Final recommendation
For most Indian buyers, the choice between PayU India and Interakt comes down to pricing model, INR/GST support, and how it fits the rest of your stack. Use the verdict cards above to map your situation to the right pick — and try both free tiers before committing.