Fonepay and NPCI Launch Cross-Border QR Payments for Nepal-India Transactions

Update February 29th, 2024: Starting February 28, 2024, Indian tourists in Nepal can pay by scanning the Fonepay QR code using NPCI-certified Indian mobile payment apps including BHIM and PhonePe. However, Nepali citizens are not able to make payments in India yet. Fonepay is awaiting approval from Nepal Rastra Bank to enable QR transactions from Nepal to India. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Fonepay and NIPL announced the partnership for cross-border QR payments in Nepal and India.
• It will enable fund transfers and merchant payments between the two nations.
• The final stages of technological integration between the two companies are in progress.

September 11, 2023 – Fonepay and NPCI are all set to launch a cross-border QR payment service, enabling QR-based payments for citizens of Nepal and India in both respective countries.

Fonepay Payment Service Ltd., Nepal’s largest payment network, and NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payment Corporation of India, made the announcement at the Global Fintech Fest 2023, a fintech conference, in Mumbai, India. They expressed their readiness to launch the first cross-border QR payment service connecting Nepal and India.

NIPL serves as the international subsidiary of NPCI, an umbrella organization responsible for operating retail payment and settlement systems in India.

This collaboration between Fonepay and NIPL will enable citizens of both nations to make instant payments through QR codes at various stores by using the mobile application certified by Fonepay and NPCI.

In a press release, it was stated that both companies have completed operational preparations, and the final stages of technological integration are in progress. Once this integration is completed, the companies can offer the service to their issuing and acquiring members, thereby enabling consumers and merchants to use this service.

ALSO READ: FoneTag: Everest Bank Enables Offline Digital Payments for Users

In May, Fonepay also signed an agreement with LankaPay, Sri Lanka’s national payment network, to develop an interoperable digital payment system between Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In June, Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cross-border digital payments. The Kathmandu Post reported that the system is expected to launch by November.

Fonepay is a payment system operator facilitating inter-bank person-to-person (P2P) and person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions through its interoperable network and mobile platforms.

Fonepay is regulated by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) and was the first mobile payment network to be licensed by NRB as a payment system operator (PSO).

National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is an initiative of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) — India’s central bank — and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) to create a payment and settlement infrastructure in India.

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI established with the purpose of expanding its product offerings to the global market.