NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has partnered with Singapore-based full-stack payments company HitPay to expand acceptance of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Singapore. This strategic collaboration is part of UPI’s ongoing global expansion, aimed at boosting cross-border digital payments and enhancing convenience for Indian tourists and merchants abroad.
Key Highlights of Partnership
Enhanced UPI Acceptance in Singapore:
- Over 12,000 merchants in Singapore will soon begin accepting UPI payments through HitPay’s infrastructure.
- The phased rollout will cover offline and online payments, including at tourist attractions, restaurants, retail stores, and other popular destinations.
Improved Payment Experience for Indian Tourists:
- With more than 1.2 million Indian tourists visiting Singapore in 2024, the initiative aims to offer them a seamless, cashless payment experience using UPI QR codes.
Global Digital Payments Ecosystem:
- This collaboration reflects NIPL’s commitment to creating a globally interconnected payments ecosystem, simplifying international transactions, and making UPI an integral part of cross-border payments.
- It also represents new milestone in NIPL’s mission to transform UPI into a global benchmark for real-time digital payments and strengthen India’s fintech footprint worldwide.
NIPL’s Other Key International Partnerships
NIPL has been at the forefront of taking UPI global, with key collaborations across various countries to promote cross-border payments:
PayNow-Singapore Collaboration (2023):
- Enabled real-time cross-border transactions between India and Singapore, facilitating faster and cheaper fund transfers.
UAE Partnership with Magnati (January 2025):
- Over 12 million Indian travelers visiting the UAE annually now benefit from UPI acceptance at Magnati’s POS terminals in Dubai and the UAE.
Trinidad and Tobago Partnership (September 2024):
- NIPL collaborated with the country’s Ministry of Digital Transformation (MDT) to create a real-time payments platform inspired by UPI, making Trinidad and Tobago the first Caribbean nation to adopt UPI-based payments.
UPI Deployment in Other Countries:
- Maldives, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Bhutan, Nepal, UAE, and Canada have also integrated UPI for seamless cross-border transactions.
- NPCI is exploring UPI expansion into African and South American nations, supporting them in developing their digital payment ecosystems.