New Delhi: India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has entered Qatar through a partnership between NPCI International Payments Ltd (NIPL) and Qatar National Bank (QNB). The move enables Indian travellers to make QR code–based UPI payments at point-of-sale terminals operated by QNB merchants, starting with Qatar Duty Free, which has become the first outlet to go live.
The integration is powered by NETSTARS’ payment solution and is expected to extend across retail, hospitality, and tourist destinations in the Gulf nation. For Indian visitors, who form the second-largest group of international travellers to Qatar, the facility reduces reliance on cash and currency exchange, easing day-to-day transactions.
According to NPCI International, expanding UPI acceptance in Qatar marks another step in strengthening cross-border payment interoperability. The institution has been building UPI’s global presence, which is already active in Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. Analysts note that such linkages not only provide convenience for Indian travellers but also contribute to local economies by supporting merchants in handling digital payments and reducing cash dependency.
For Qatar, the development aligns with its broader push towards cashless transactions in retail and tourism. With increasing visitor inflows from India, digital payment acceptance through UPI could encourage higher transaction volumes while offering businesses access to a large customer base familiar with mobile-first payment systems.
The collaboration positions UPI as an emerging cross-border payments option while adding to the growing number of global jurisdictions where it is being integrated. Industry observers see this as part of a gradual but steady expansion of India’s payment infrastructure beyond its borders.
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