Introduction
We like UPI payment, however, the minute you switch off a highway into the hills, it is time to break the rules. Real time payments can be stalled by tower shadows, power interruptions and overcrowded festivals.
Once we had a couple of clammy sweaty pending screens (and one tea bill we could not pay till the following day), we had constructed a low-stress, simple alternative, which would allow us to make a journey, cash-light, but never cash-free. Our on-ground guide to Himachal/Uttarakhand/Northeast and Western Ghats villages where UPI is working most of the time (until it is not).
Where UPI Fails in the Hills (What We’ve Seen)
- Spotty signal: Valleys and forest bends will drop data by the hour; even SMS OTPs have lag time.
- Power outages: The shops have QR codes, but no phone/sound box power; settlement is postponed.
- Single-SIM dead zone: You are on a different carrier in town, but the carrier is in town, not at the pass.
- Server failures: Weekends or periods of the yatra result in “Pending/Timed Out” errors.
- High-end phones/battery: The phone of the merchant should run until 8 PM; otherwise he/she has to wait to pay.
- Policy quirks: Some homestays will only accept small bills in cash, some small stores are also unwilling to accept large bills or coins.
Quick Planner: Payment Toolkit and Typical Cash Needs
| UPI apps | 2 apps on 2 different banks (e.g., BHIM + PhonePe/Paytm) | If one bank/app is down, the other often works |
| SIMs | Dual‑SIM (Jio + Airtel), offline maps downloaded | One usually has signal in towns |
| UPI Lite wallet | Pre‑loaded ₹1,000–2,000 | Small, fast payments without PIN; some offline support |
| Cash (daily carry) | ₹1,500–2,000 in small notes | For meals, tea, parking, entry, emergencies |
| Cash (deep stash) | ₹3,000–5,000 split in two places | Backup for no‑network days or fuel |
| Cards | 1 debit + 1 credit | ATMs/micro‑ATMs, fuel pumps, bigger hotels |
| Power | 10–20k mAh power bank + short cable | Dead battery = no UPI |
| ID + bank mini‑statement | Aadhaar/ID and last 3 transactions (screenshot) | Useful for AePS/micro‑ATM cash‑out |
Typical daily cash burn in remote belts (per person):
- Food/tea/snacks: ₹300–700
- Small entries/parking: ₹50–200
- Homestay add‑ons (firewood, jeep, local guide): ₹300–1,000
- Fuel top‑ups: ₹500–1,500 (vehicular)
Our 3‑Layer Backup Plan (That Actually Works)
| Layer 1: Redundant UPI | Two apps, two banks, two SIMs. Keep QR photos of key vendors/homestays. Retry with other app/bank if “pending.” | Tea shop in Tirthan valley: BHIM failed; PhonePe (other bank) cleared instantly |
| Layer 2: Micro‑cash | Carry ₹1,500–2,000 on person (₹10–₹200 notes) + separate ₹3–5k stash in backpack/car. | Spiti homestay’s router died; paid ₹800 dinner in cash and settled the rest by UPI next morning |
| Layer 3: Cash‑out options | Identify nearest ATM, petrol pump with card, and 1–2 shops with micro‑ATM/AePS. Keep card and Aadhaar handy. | No ATM working in Chaukori; local CSC did AePS cash‑out using Aadhaar |
- On person: ₹1,500 (₹10×5, ₹20×5, ₹50×10, ₹100×5, ₹200×3)
- Deep stash 1 (bag): ₹2,000–3,000
- Deep stash 2 (car/hidden pouch): ₹1,500–2,000
Cash Math: How Much and Which Denominations
| Situation | Carry this much cash | Denomination mix |
|---|---|---|
| Solo, 2–3 days, UPI works in towns | ₹3,000–4,000 total | 50s and 100s mostly; a few 10/20s |
| Couple, 3–5 days, mixed coverage | ₹6,000–8,000 total | Half in 50/100s; some 200s/500s for fuel |
| Family road trip, remote belt | ₹10,000–12,000 total | Keep 60–70% in 100/200s; avoid only 500s |
| Bikepacking/treks with homestays | ₹2,500–3,500 on person | Small notes; stash a 500 for emergencies |
Notes that work best in villages: ₹20, ₹50, ₹100, and ₹200. ₹500 is fine for fuel/hotels but a pain for tea stalls. Keep coins limited—some places resist ₹10 coins.
Real Scenarios and What We Did
Dinner, no signal homestay router off.
- We spent ₹1,000 cash in daily carry; paid the balance the next morning when the telephone of the host was again connected through UPI.
Out of service Highway ATM, require fuel in the next 50km.
- Playing card in the larger pump in the market town; little hill-pumps are frequently fond of cash.
Village mela blocked networks (congestion)
- UPI Lite payment was functional with tea; payment money was used in the case of the jeep ride and the driver did not accept UPI because it had no network. We refilled money subsequently at a micro-ATM.
“Pending” on both apps at a tiny shop
- We cancelled both tries (to prevent a debit by the same amount twice), paid ₹120 in cash after which we sent a sample ₹1 in the following village and then completed the amount digitally.
Do’s and Don’ts for First‑Timers
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Carry two UPI apps linked to two different banks | Depend on a single app/bank/SIM |
| Keep ₹1.5–2k in small notes on you; split the rest | Carry only ₹500 notes or a single big stash |
| Download offline maps; save homestay QR and phone | Expect to find signal at every bend |
| Top‑up UPI Lite before entering weak zones | Try to add money to wallets without data |
| Use cards at pumps/ATMs in larger towns | Assume tiny village pumps accept cards |
| Agree on “pay later” with a name/number in their register | Leave without settling or trusting random QR pics |
Conclusion
Until geography and electricity quarrel, UPI is brilliant. We just have to fix it; duplicate apps, duplicate banks, duplicate SIM cards, deeper pocket, and a decided cash-out strategy (through ATMs or micro-ATMs). Install UPI Lite to make small transactions and save the significant QRs before going offline.
In that arrangement, we remain largely electronic, not isolated, and manners when the time comes to pay a bill in an old fashioned manner.
