NIPL, the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has signed an agreement with PayNet, Malaysia’s national payments network, to enable QR-based merchant payments between the two countries. The rollout will take place in phases.
In the first phase, Indian travellers visiting Malaysia will be able to scan DuitNow QR codes using their UPI-enabled apps to pay merchants. DuitNow QR is Malaysia’s national QR standard operated by PayNet. In a subsequent phase, Malaysian travellers visiting India will be able to use their DuitNow apps to scan UPI QR codes and make payments at merchant outlets.
Once operational, the integration will allow Indian users access to millions of DuitNow QR acceptance points across Malaysia, including restaurants, retail outlets and tourist establishments. Malaysian visitors to India will similarly gain acceptance across millions of UPI QR-enabled merchant locations.
Ritesh Shukla, MD and CEO of NPCI International, said the partnership aims to expand the global footprint of UPI by building interoperable, real-time payment ecosystems with overseas networks. He said the collaboration would enable seamless QR-based merchant payments and offer travellers a familiar and secure payment experience.
Praveen Rajan, CEO of PayNet, said the linkage between DuitNow QR and UPI would strengthen payment connectivity for travellers, merchants and financial institutions in both countries. He added that the initiative comes amid growing two-way travel and Malaysia’s Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
NPCI International Payments was incorporated in April 2020 as a wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI to deploy India’s UPI and RuPay systems overseas through partnerships, licensing and consulting arrangements.
The agreement adds Malaysia to the list of countries where UPI acceptance is being enabled through cross-border QR interoperability, aimed at facilitating real-time merchant payments for travellers.
