IDFC FIRST Bank launches UPI for Indians in 12 countries: How service works

Indians abroad can use service by linking their international mobile numbers to bank accounts in India

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

IDFC FIRST Bank has rolled out UPI services for Indians in 12 countries, enabling them to use the digital platform to make payments in India without needing domestic SIM cards or incurring any transaction charges. Diaspora members can use the service by linking their international mobile numbers to NRE/ NRO accounts in India.

 

“Our vision has always been to simplify and enhance banking, making it accessible no matter where our customers are located,” said Ashish Singh, head of retail liabilities at IDFC FIRST Bank, in a press statement.

 

How it works

Using the IDFC FIRST Bank app, NRIs can:

 

• Send and receive money using QR codes, UPI IDs, or mobile numbers 
• Pay Indian utility bills or transfer funds to friends and family 
• Complete transactions instantly with zero fees

 

UPI for NRIs:

• Log in to IDFC FIRST Bank app 
• Link your NRE (Non-Resident External) or NRO (Non-Resident Ordinary) account 
• Create a UPI ID and start paying

 

This move follows a decision by the National Payments Corporation of India, which operates UPI (Unified Payments Interface), to extend the digital payments service to NRIs by using international mobile numbers. The feature is live for Indians living in Australia, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA.

Other banks and apps also support UPI for NRIs

A clutch of other Indian banks already offers this facility. These include State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank, among others, according to the NPCI’s official list of “UPI for NRIs - Live Members”.

 

Popular UPI apps that support international mobile numbers for NRI transactions include:

 

• BHIM 
• PhonePe 
• FedMobile (Federal Bank) 
• iMobile (ICICI Bank) 
• BHIM IndusPay (IndusInd Bank) 
• SIB Mirror+ (South Indian Bank) 
• BHIM AU (AU Small Finance Bank)

 

These apps allow NRIs to access UPI from abroad as long as the payments are for transactions within India. With no requirement for an Indian SIM and zero transaction charges, UPI for NRIs adds convenience, security, and cost-effectiveness to international banking. Transactions are settled in Indian rupee and do not attract foreign exchange fees, making it ideal for regular India-based payments.

 

For those without NRE/NRO accounts, NPCI’s UPI ONE WORLD initiative offers prepaid UPI wallets for international visitors to India, another step toward globalizing India’s digital payments system.