ICICI Bank enables UPI payments in India for NRIs via int'l mobile numbers

ICICI Bank on Monday announced that it has enabled instant payment facility UPI for its non-resident Indian (NRI) customers in India through their international mobile numbers.

According to the bank, this will significantly enhance convenience of making everyday payments.

"With this facility, the NRI customers of the bank can make payments for their utility bills, merchant and e-commerce transactions with their international mobile number registered with their NRE/NRO bank account held with ICICI Bank in India," a statement released here by the bank said.

According to the statement, the bank has made this service available through its mobile banking app iMobile Pay.

Earlier, NRIs had to register an Indian mobile number with their bank accounts to make UPI payments across 10 countries, namely, the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

NRI customers of the bank can make UPI payments by scanning any Indian QR code, send money to a UPI ID or any Indian mobile number or Indian bank account.

"With this facility, our NRI customers residing in 10 countries do not need to switch to an Indian mobile number to pay using UPI," Sidharatha Mishra, Head Digital Channels and Partnerships, ICICI Bank, said.

According to him, with this initiative, the bank intends to leverage on NPCI's UPI (Unified Payments Interface) infrastructure in "strengthening and transforming the digital payments ecosystem globally".