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How NRIs in 12 countries can now use UPI for free transactions with people in India

Upstox
By Upstox News Desk

2 min read | Updated on November 04, 2024, 18:47 IST

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SUMMARY

NRIs in countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Singapore, and Australia can now link their mobile numbers to UPI.

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A smartphone screen displaying a UPI app interface, as NRIs can now use UPI linked to their international mobile numbers for easy transactions in India.

The National Payments Corp. of India (NPCI) has expanded its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) service to non-resident Indians (NRIs) who hold non-resident external (NRE) or non-resident ordinary (NRO) accounts, allowing them to make instant payments in India using UPI linked to their international mobile numbers. The new service, reported by Mint, enables NRIs to use UPI for quick, cost-free transactions directly from their smartphones.

With this update, NRIs in select countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia, can link their foreign numbers to UPI, eliminating the need for traditional wire transfers to send money to family or make purchases in India.

The UPI service remains accessible whether users are in India or travelling abroad.

NRIs with mobile numbers from these countries can link them to UPI: Australia (+61), Canada (+1), France (+33), Hong Kong (+852), Malaysia (+60), Oman (+968), Qatar (+974), Saudi Arabia (+966), Singapore (+65), United Arab Emirates (+971), United Kingdom (+44), United States (+1).

As many as 13 banks currently support the linkage of international mobile numbers for UPI: AU Small Finance Bank, Axis Bank, Canara Bank, City Union Bank, DBS Bank, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IDFC First Bank, IndusInd Bank, Punjab National Bank, and South Indian Bank. UPI applications compatible with international mobile numbers include BHIM AU (AU Small Finance Bank), FedMobile (Federal Bank), iMobile (ICICI Bank), BHIM Indus Pay (IndusInd Bank), SIB Mirror+ (South Indian Bank), and PhonePe.

NPCI has set a daily transaction cap of ₹1 lakh, though this may vary by bank. Newly registered users face a temporary limit of ₹5,000 for the first 24 hours. NRIs can transfer funds between NRE and NRO accounts as well as with resident Indian accounts. However, transfers from NRO to NRE accounts are restricted.

How to link an international mobile number to UPI:

To activate UPI access, NRIs must link their international mobile numbers to their NRE or NRO bank accounts, download a UPI-enabled app, and complete the onboarding process. This includes mobile number verification and setting up a unique UPI ID.

For joint account holders, only the primary account holder can use UPI. NRIs can also receive funds via UPI's “send to account” option, even without UPI registration.

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About The Author

Upstox
Upstox News Desk is a team of journalists who passionately cover stock markets, economy, commodities, latest business trends, and personal finance.

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