Mumbai: NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), in collaboration with Lyra, a French e-commerce security company, has unveiled the acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in France, commencing with the iconic Eiffel Tower. This development enables Indian tourists to seamlessly book Eiffel Tower tickets online using UPI, ensuring a quick, easy, and hassle-free transaction process.
This move holds significance as Indian tourists rank as the second-largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower. With UPI acceptance, Indian tourists can securely conduct online transactions by scanning the QR code on the merchant website using UPI-powered apps.
While the Eiffel Tower is the first to offer UPI payments in France, the service is expected to extend to other merchants in the tourism and retail space, facilitating more accessible online bookings for hotels, museums, and more.
The announcement was made at a special event in Paris organised by the Indian Embassy to celebrate India’s Republic Day. The event was attended by His Excellency M. Jawed Ashraf, the Ambassador of India to France and Monaco, along with Prisca Thevenot, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister of France, and many others.
With over 380 million users, UPI has firmly established itself in India, recording over 12.2 billion transactions in January 2024 alone, solidifying its position as the world’s most efficient instant payment system.
