<h1>Aadhaar-based biometric payments expand merchant digital acceptance, paired with cashback and referral incentives to boost adoption.</h1> The government launched an Aadhaar-enabled merchant payment interface allowing biometric authentication for digital transactions at merchants, expanding access to those without smartphones or cards; 27 banks and over seven lakh merchants were onboarded. Two short-term incentive mechanisms - a Cashback scheme for merchants and a Referral bonus for referring and adopting users - are to be administered by MEITY and implemented by NPCI. Selected less-cash townships undergo independent assessment and must report over 80% digital transactions, with payment infrastructure and training completed.