Trinidad & Tobago set to have UPI service: How to use service abroad

Indian visitors can scan a QR code at partner merchants and pay directly from their domestic bank accounts in rupees

 

Trinidad and Tobago is set to have a payment system like Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India will help the Caribbean nation to develop the payment system, which will be similar to UPI.

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week made a two-day visit to the island on the second leg of his five-nation tour. He congratulated the country for adopting the digital payment service.

 

Where can you use UPI abroad?

 

UPI is live in these countries through partnerships with local payment providers, according to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which manages the payment service.

 

• UAE 
• Singapore 
• France 
• Bhutan 
• Nepal 
• Sri Lanka 
• Mauritius 

 

This means Indian visitors can scan a QR code at partnered merchants and pay directly from their domestic bank accounts in rupees, while the merchant receives the local currency.

 

 

What do you need to do to activate UPI abroad?

 

Using UPI overseas is simple, but you need to check a few boxes:

 

-A UPI-enabled app installed on your smartphone.

 

-Your Indian bank account is linked to UPI.

 

-International roaming enabled for OTPs.

 

NPCI recommends ensuring your bank and UPI app support “UPI Global”. For example, BHIM App has a “UPI Global” feature that allows you to enable international payments securely.

 

How to make a UPI payment abroad

 

-Scan the merchant’s QR code: These are usually NPCI’s “UPI Global” QR codes.

 

-Enter the amount in the local currency or INR (the app does the conversion).

 

-Authenticate with your UPI PIN.

 

Payment is processed instantly, and you get a confirmation.

 

Some apps also allow you to set spending limits or disable global UPI temporarily for security.

 

Are there charges for UPI abroad?

 

According to NPCI, small cross-border transactions may carry nominal conversion charges. However, these are often lower than debit/credit card foreign transaction fees.

 

As India’s UPI network grows globally, travellers have fewer reasons to rely on cash or forex cards. NPCI has hinted at further expansions in Europe and the Caribbean, so Indian wallets could soon become truly borderless.