Cursor & UPI Payments: What Developers Need to Know

8/11/2025

Turns out, you can't directly integrate UPI for payments in Cursor, but here's the deal...

Hey there! So, you're looking to get UPI payments working with Cursor. It's a question that's been popping up a lot, & I've been digging into it. Here's the thing: based on what I've found, it seems there might be a slight mix-up in what's possible.

Right now, you can't actually integrate a UPI payment system directly into your projects using Cursor as an editor. That's not really what Cursor is for. It's an AI-powered code editor, not a payment processing platform.

The REAL issue, & what most people are talking about online, is the ability to pay for a Cursor Pro subscription using UPI. & honestly, it's a major point of frustration for users in India.

The Lowdown: Paying for Cursor Pro with UPI

I spent some time scouring forums & Reddit threads, & the story is pretty consistent. A LOT of Indian developers want to subscribe to Cursor Pro but are hitting a wall because there's no option for UPI, PhonePe, or even Indian net banking. It seems the current payment gateway, likely Stripe, is causing authentication issues for many Indian credit & debit cards.

There are multiple threads on the official Cursor Community Forum where users have specifically requested the addition of UPI as a payment method. People are eager to pay for the service, but the lack of accessible payment options is a significant hurdle. One user even mentioned they can pay for ChatGPT simply because its mobile app uses Google Play for payments, which supports UPI.

So, if you're trying to give Cursor your money for a Pro plan, you're unfortunately in the same boat as many others. The Cursor team is hopefully aware of this, but as of now, there's no direct solution.

What if you ACTUALLY meant integrating UPI into your own app?

Now, on the off chance you're a developer curious about how to add UPI functionality to your own website or application (and just happen to be using Cursor to write the code), then that's a whole different conversation!

Here’s a simplified breakdown of what that process typically looks like. It’s pretty cool how it all works.

How UPI Integration Generally Works

Integrating UPI isn't about the code editor you use; it's about connecting with a payment gateway that supports UPI. Think of it like this: your website or app needs to talk to a service that can handle the secure transaction.

Here are the main ways businesses do it:

UPI Payment Gateway: This is the most common & straightforward method. You partner with a payment service provider (like Razorpay, Cashfree, or Decentro) that offers UPI as a payment option. They provide you with APIs that you integrate into your website's checkout flow. When a user chooses to pay with UPI, your site sends a request to the gateway, which then handles the rest.
UPI Intent Flow (for mobile apps): This is what you see in many Android apps. When you click "Pay with UPI," it shows you a list of all the UPI-enabled apps on your phone (like Google Pay, PhonePe, etc.). You select one, it opens, you approve the payment, & then you're automatically redirected back to the original app. This is done using a "deep link".
Static & Dynamic QR Codes: You've definitely seen these. A static QR code has a fixed VPA (Virtual Payment Address) that customers can scan to pay any amount. A dynamic QR code is generated for each specific transaction & includes the exact amount, which reduces manual entry errors.

The Key Steps for Integration

If you were to build this for your own project, the process would look something like this:

Choose a Payment Service Provider (PSP): You'd first need to sign up with a provider that supports UPI. They are the ones who are actually connected to the banking infrastructure.
Get Your Credentials: The PSP will give you unique credentials, like a Merchant ID (MID) & a secret key, to authenticate your requests.
Use Their SDK or APIs: Most providers offer a Software Development Kit (SDK) or REST APIs to make the integration easier. You'd use these in your backend code (written in something like Node.js, Python, or Java) to create payment requests, handle responses, & verify payment statuses.
Build the Frontend: On your website or app, you'd add the UPI payment option to your checkout page. When a user selects it, your frontend would communicate with your backend to initiate the transaction.

For example, a UPI payment request might involve sending the amount, a unique order ID, & customer details to the payment gateway's API endpoint. The gateway then provides a payment link or triggers the UPI intent flow.

A Quick Word on Business Solutions

When businesses are looking to improve these kinds of customer interactions, whether it's on a payment page or just general support, they often turn to AI. For instance, if a customer's payment fails, a smart chatbot could pop up to help. This is where a platform like Arsturn comes in handy. It lets businesses build no-code AI chatbots trained on their own data. So, for a company struggling with payment questions, a chatbot could instantly answer common queries, guide users through alternative payment methods, or even create a support ticket, all without needing a human agent. It’s a great way to provide a personalized customer experience & boost conversions.

So, what's the final word?

To wrap it up, if you're trying to pay for Cursor Pro, the bad news is that UPI isn't supported yet. The best thing you can do is add your voice to the feature request threads on the Cursor community forums. The more users who ask for it, the higher the chances it'll become a priority.

If you're a developer looking to implement UPI in your own application, the path involves choosing a payment gateway provider & using their APIs to integrate UPI into your checkout process. It's a well-documented process, & providers offer a lot of resources to help you get started.

Hope this was helpful & cleared things up a bit! Let me know what you think.