# UPI transaction references — tr and tn

> tr is your machine reference — 1 to 35 letters, digits, dots or dashes — and it comes back in settlement, so make it unique per transaction. tn is a short human note the payer sees on the confirmation screen. Use tr for reconciliation and tn for context, never the reverse.

Source: https://useqr.app/docs/payments/upi-transaction-reference-tr-and-tn · Last reviewed 2026-08-21 · UseQR is free forever, MIT licensed, no signup.

---

## Two fields, two audiences

The [UPI deep link](/docs/payments/upi-qr-code-format) has two free-text-ish parameters that
get confused constantly because both look like "a note". They serve different readers:

```
upi://pay?pa=shop@upi&pn=Chai%20Point&am=250.00&tn=Order%2042&tr=ORD-2026-00042&cu=INR
```

| | `tr` — transaction reference | `tn` — transaction note |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Your accounting system | The payer, on their screen |
| Comes back in settlement | **Yes** — this is the point | Often, but as a label |
| Charset | `A–Z a–z 0–9 . -` only | Free text, percent-encoded |
| Length | **1–35 characters** | Keep under **~25 characters** |
| Should be unique | Yes, per transaction | No — repetition is fine |
| Example | `INV-2026-014` | `Table 7` |

`tr` is the machine's field: an opaque ID that survives the round trip and reappears against
the credit, so software (or a spreadsheet) can match payment to record. `tn` is the human's
field: it renders on the confirmation screen, where its job is to reassure the payer that
this is the right payment.

## The charset trap

`tr` is deliberately restrictive: **letters, digits, dots and dashes, up to 35 characters**.
No spaces, no underscores, no slashes, no `#`. `INV-2026-014` is valid;
`INV_2026/014` is not, and a reference that violates the pattern is a code some apps refuse
to parse — one of the causes behind
[a UPI QR not being detected](/docs/troubleshooting/upi-qr-code-not-detected-by-app).
UseQR's [generator](/upi) validates the pattern before encoding, and the
[decoder](/validate) shows you exactly what a code carries.

`tn` is looser because it is percent-encoded free text — `Order%2042` decodes to
"Order 42" — but every encoded character enlarges the QR matrix, so a long note buys you a
denser code and a smaller effective module size at print. Short wins.

## Uniqueness discipline

The rules that make references worth having:

1. **One `tr` per expected payment.** Invoice number, order ID, month-and-unit — anything
   already unique in your records. Reusing a `tr` across transactions collapses the very
   distinction it exists to make.
2. **Never encode meaning you will need to parse into `tn`.** It is display text; treat
   anything that comes back through it as a label, not a key.
3. **Static codes get a constant `tn`, no `tr`.** A permanent standee cannot know the
   transaction in advance — which is precisely the line between
   [static and dynamic codes](/docs/payments/static-vs-dynamic-upi-qr). Per-location notes
   (`tn=Counter%202`) still tell you *where*, if not *which*.
4. **Derive, do not invent.** `FLAT4B-2026-08` can be reconstructed from your ledger;
   a random string cannot. The [rent-collection pattern](/docs/payments/upi-qr-for-rent-collection)
   is this rule applied twelve times a year.

## Bulk generation with row IDs

Reference discipline scales through spreadsheets. One row per expected payment — VPA, name,
amount, and a `tr` column carrying your row ID — fed to the [bulk tool](/bulk) yields one
code per invoice, seat, month or parcel, each carrying its own reference. The
[freelancer invoice workflow](/docs/payments/upi-qr-for-a-freelancer) is the canonical case:
`tr` equals invoice number, and reconciliation becomes a VLOOKUP.

The accounting loop then closes itself: export the settlement or statement, match its
reference column against your ledger's ID column, and whatever fails to match is your
exception list — the payments to actually investigate, instead of all of them.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between tr and tn in a UPI QR code?
tr is a machine reference of 1–35 letters, digits, dots or dashes that comes back in settlement for reconciliation. tn is a short human-readable note shown to the payer on the confirmation screen.

### Does the tr reference appear in my bank statement?
Yes — carrying your reference back against the credit is the parameter's purpose. Give every expected payment a unique tr and matching statements to records becomes a lookup rather than detective work.

### Can I use spaces or underscores in a UPI transaction reference?
No. tr allows only letters, digits, dots and dashes, up to 35 characters. Spaces and underscores belong in tn, the display note, which is percent-encoded free text.

### Should a printed standee include a tr?
No. A permanent code cannot know future transactions, so a fixed tr would repeat forever and mean nothing. Use a constant tn to identify the location, and reserve tr for per-transaction codes.

## Try it

- https://useqr.app/upi
- https://useqr.app/bulk
- https://useqr.app/validate