UPI Payments Now Accepted in 8 Countries; Qatar Latest to Join

UPI Payments Now Accepted in 8 Countries; Qatar Latest to Join

ANALYSIS

• Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has expanded internationally, allowing Indian travellers to make QR-based digital payments in multiple countries without relying on cash or foreign exchange.
• The latest country to enable UPI payments is Qatar, where the facility has been introduced through collaboration between the National Payments Corporation of India’s international arm and local banking infrastructure.
• The initiative is aimed at simplifying cross-border retail payments for Indian tourists and strengthening India’s digital public infrastructure abroad.
• With the addition of Qatar, UPI payments are now accepted in eight countries.
• The rollout reflects India’s growing influence in digital payment technology and financial interoperability.

Key Development

• NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) partnered with Qatar National Bank (QNB) to enable QR code–based UPI acceptance at merchant point-of-sale terminals in Qatar.
• The system enables Indian visitors to pay directly from their Indian bank accounts at major tourist locations and duty-free outlets.
• Payments are processed in real time, reducing the need for currency exchange or international card usage.

Countries Where UPI Payments Are Currently Accepted

1. Bhutan (2021) – First foreign country to adopt UPI through the BHIM app.
2. France (2024) – Initial rollout at the Eiffel Tower; gradually expanding to select merchants.
3. Mauritius (2024) – Enables tourists to pay directly via bank accounts at partnered stores.
4. Nepal (2024) – Implemented via the Fonepay network for merchant transactions.
5. Singapore (2023) – Linked with the PayNow system for cross-border retail and peer-to-peer payments.
6. Sri Lanka – Accepted at select merchants for tourist payments.
7. United Arab Emirates (UAE) – Widely used in major shopping hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
8. Qatar (2025) – Latest addition enabling QR-based payments through Qatar National Bank.

Significance for India

• Strengthens India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) global outreach.
• Enhances financial inclusion and digital payment adoption abroad.
• Facilitates seamless tourism spending for Indian travellers.
• Encourages cross-border fintech collaboration and strengthens economic ties.

STATIC / BACKGROUND INFORMATIONUnified Payments Interface (UPI)

• Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
• A real-time payment system that allows instant fund transfer between bank accounts through mobile applications.
• Enables person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions.
• Uses QR codes, mobile numbers, or virtual payment addresses (VPA) for transactions.
• As of October 2025, about 491 million users in India actively use UPI across banks and fintech platforms.

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL)

• The international subsidiary of NPCI responsible for expanding Indian digital payment systems globally.
• Focuses on UPI, RuPay card acceptance, and cross-border digital payment infrastructure.

Updated - 08 October 2025 ; 06:00 PM | News Source : Indian Express