UPI acceptance in Malaysia soon following NPCI tie up with DuitNow

MUMBAI: NPCI International Payments Limited has signed an agreement with Payments Network Malaysia to link India’s Unified Payments Interface with Malaysia’s DuitNow, enabling QR-based merchant payments for travellers in both countries. The agreement was announced in Mumbai on Feb 12, 2026, and will be rolled out in phases, with no end date specified.In the first phase, Indian travellers visiting Malaysia will be able to use UPI apps to pay at DuitNow QR-enabled merchant locations. In the subsequent phase, Malaysian visitors to India will be able to scan UPI QR codes and make payments using their DuitNow apps. The integration will allow Indian tourists to access millions of DuitNow QR touchpoints across Malaysia, including restaurants, retail outlets and tourist destinations, while Malaysian travellers will gain acceptance at millions of UPI-enabled merchants in India.Ritesh Shukla, MD and CEO of NPCI International, said the partnership, under the guidance of the Govt and RBI, was aimed at expanding UPI’s global footprint by building interoperable, real-time payment ecosystems with overseas networks. He said the linkage would offer travellers a familiar, secure and convenient payment experience while strengthening digital and economic ties between the two countries.Praveen Rajan, CEO of PayNet, said the agreement showed how national payments infrastructure could support everyday cross-border payments at scale. He said the UPI–DuitNow linkage would strengthen connectivity for travellers, merchants and banks, and support higher trade and travel flows, particularly in the context of Visit Malaysia 2026.NPCI International, a wholly owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India, has been expanding UPI’s overseas acceptance through partnerships across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, focusing on remittances, QR-based tourist payments and real-time payment infrastructure.