PhonePe, Visa introduce tap to pay and cross-border QR payments
What's the story
PhonePe and Visa have launched three new payment features at the Global Fintech Fest 2026. The services include contactless card payments through phones, cross-border QR payments in select countries, and card acceptance for small merchants without a separate POS machine. The features were announced today and will be rolled out in phases, with Tap to Pay starting now, while cross-border QR payments will roll out soon.
Contactless convenience
Tap to Pay
PhonePe users with eligible Visa cards can now tokenize their cards on the app.
This allows them to make contactless payments at the compatible POS terminals using an Android phone.
The service is designed to work even in low-connectivity environments, depending on the payment system as well as device requirements.
International transactions
Cross-border QR payments
PhonePe is also introducing cross-border QR payments using Visa-supported QR codes.
This feature will allow Indian users to scan eligible QR codes while traveling in 14 international markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, and South Korea.
Users are advised to check if a particular merchant's QR code is supported before relying on this facility while traveling.
Merchant convenience
Smart Accept
The third feature, Smart Accept, is aimed at small merchants who do not have a separate card POS terminal.
With this feature, a compatible smartphone can be used to accept contactless card payments.
Customers can tap a physical contactless card or a tokenized mobile wallet against the merchant's device.
This eliminates the need for separate POS hardware and integrates with PhonePe's existing merchant QR dashboard.