Soon, you can pay via UPI in Malaysia
What's the story
Indian travelers may soon be able to make payments in Malaysia using their Unified Payments Interface (UPI) apps. This comes after an agreement between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet). The deal will enable QR-based merchant payments between India and Malaysia, starting with Indian travelers visiting the latter country.
Implementation plan
Implementation in phases
The implementation of this agreement will be done in phases. In the first phase, Indian travelers visiting Malaysia will be able to use their UPI-enabled apps to scan DuitNow QR codes and pay merchants. DuitNow QR is Malaysia's national QR standard managed by PayNet. Later, Malaysian travelers coming to India will also get the same facility with their DuitNow apps and UPI QR codes at merchant outlets.
User benefits
Access to millions of merchant locations
Once the integration is completed, Indian users will get access to millions of DuitNow QR acceptance points across Malaysia. These include restaurants, retail outlets, and tourist establishments. Similarly, Malaysian visitors coming to India will also gain acceptance across millions of UPI QR-enabled merchant locations. This would greatly enhance the convenience and accessibility of digital payments for travelers from both countries.
Global expansion
Strengthening payment connectivity
Ritesh Shukla, MD and CEO of NPCI International, said the partnership is part of their effort to expand UPI's global footprint. He emphasized that the collaboration would enable seamless QR-based merchant payments and offer travelers a familiar and secure payment experience. Praveen Rajan, CEO of PayNet, also highlighted how this linkage between DuitNow QR and UPI would strengthen payment connectivity for travelers, merchants, and financial institutions in both countries.
Company profile
NPCI International Payments's role in expanding UPI's reach
NPCI International Payments was established in April 2020 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NPCI. Its main objective is to deploy India's UPI and RuPay systems overseas through partnerships, licensing, and consulting arrangements. The recent agreement with PayNet adds Malaysia to the list of countries where UPI acceptance is being enabled through cross-border QR interoperability.