UPI payments are now available in Qatar
Indians planning to travel to Qatar soon have some happy news.
They will be able to use the popular Indian phone-based payment system — Unified Payment Interface (UPI) — in Qatar soon.
NPCI International, tasked with popularising the payment system around the world, has teamed up with Qatar National Bank (QNB) to allow UPI payments in Qatar.
Once the service begins, Indians travelling to Qatar can use their UPI apps like Google Pay or PhonePe to seamlessly make payments in Qatar.
The QNB Group, which is the Middle East and North Africa region’s largest bank and operates in over 28 countries, will facilitate the transactions.
Indians travelling to Qatar will be able to use UPI to pay at shops, tourist spots, leisure areas, duty-free shops, and hotels.
Shops and businesses in Qatar will also benefit from this partnership as UPI payments offer faster and smoother checkouts. It will make it a better experience for customers and potentially increase sales.
“We’re happy to collaborate with QNB to bring UPI payments to Qatar. We believe that enabling UPI acceptance in Qatar will offer substantial benefits to the large number of Indians visiting the country, simplifying their transactions, and ensuring a hassle-free travel experience abroad,” said NPCI International’s Deputy Chief of Partnerships and Business Development Anubhav Sharma.
“Merchants in Qatar will greatly benefit from UPI, gaining access to a wider customer base and more efficient payment and collection processing,” he added.
QNB Group Retail Banking’s Senior Executive Vice President Adel Ali Al Malki said: “We’re thrilled to embark on this pioneering journey with NIPL to bring UPI payments to Qatar, setting a new standard in innovation in the region. With this new digital payment solution acceptance, we’re revolutionizing the way transactions are conducted, enhancing the travel experience like never before."
He added that the strategic initiative would not only elevate the travel and hospitality sectors, but also empower local merchants to thrive.
Currently, UPI is available in Bhutan, Singapore, Nepal, France, the UAE, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius.
UPI is a mobile-first payment system developed by India’s National Payments Corporation. It simplifies digital payments by allowing users to scan QR codes or transfer money directly via phone numbers, with funds credited directly to the linked bank account.
In India, UPI is accessible through apps like BHIM, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Paytm, PhonePe and BharatPe.
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