Visitors from India will be able to take advantage of UPI in Qatar. By using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system, they can make payments in Qatar by scanning a QR code.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has partnered with QNB, a leading financial institution in West Asia and Africa, to introduce QR code-based Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments in Qatar.
This partnership will allow Indian tourists to use their preferred payment method at retail stores, tourist attractions, leisure sites, duty-free shops, and hotels in Qatar. Indians were the second-largest group of international visitors to Qatar in FY 2023.
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By adopting UPI payments, Qatari merchants can offer a faster and more convenient checkout process, enhancing customer satisfaction. This move also opens up new opportunities for merchants to attract and serve the increasing number of international travelers, boosting sales and business growth.
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In a press release, Anubhav Sharma, Deputy Chief of Partnerships and Business Development at NPCI International said, “We are happy to collaborate with QNB to bring UPI payments to Qatar. We believe that enabling UPI acceptance in Qatar will offer substantial benefits to the large number of Indians visiting the country, simplifying their transactions, and ensuring a hassle-free travel experience abroad. Additionally, merchants in Qatar will greatly benefit from UPI, gaining access to a wider customer base and more efficient payment and collection processing.”
According to NPCI, the number of Indian tourists expected to travel to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in 2024 is 9.8 million, with the UAE alone expecting 5.29 million arrivals from India.
Additional Features Added in UPI
NPCI has also added some extra features to UPI to make it more secure and prevent fraud. Your UPI account is linked directly to your phone number. If you remove the SIM card from your phone, the UPI service will be turned off. Sometimes, the service may not be available due to issues.
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To help with this, NPCI has introduced UPI Lite, which allows transactions without needing a PIN or internet connection. However, it has a transaction limit of Rs 500 and a daily limit of Rs 4,000.
Countries that legally support UPI payments include Bhutan, UAE, France, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Nepal, and Singapore.
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