This move represents a significant stride in enhancing the ease of financial transactions for NRIs, promoting a smoother digital payment experience, and encouraging the adoption of UPI on a global scale
ICICI Bank has launched a new feature allowing its non-resident Indian (NRI) customers to make Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions in India using their international mobile numbers. This initiative, announced on Monday, is set to significantly enhance the convenience of daily payments for NRIs.
Previously, NRI customers were required to link an Indian mobile number to their Non-Resident External (NRE) or Non-Resident Ordinary (NRO) accounts to access UPI services. This restriction limited the ease of making digital payments while abroad. With this new feature, NRIs can now use their international mobile numbers linked to their NRE or NRO accounts for UPI payments, eliminating the need for an Indian mobile number.
This service is currently available to NRIs residing in ten countries: the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia
ICICI Bank’s iMobile Pay app facilitates the transactions, allowing NRIs to make utility payments, e-commerce purchases, and other financial transactions seamlessly. Payments can be made by scanning any Indian QR code, sending money to a UPI ID, or directly transferring funds to an Indian bank account.
Sidharatha Mishra, Head of Digital Channels and Partnerships at ICICI Bank, stated, “With this facility, our NRI customers residing in 10 countries do not need to switch to an Indian mobile number to pay using UPI.” He emphasized that this step aligns with ICICI Bank’s goal of leveraging the National Payments Corporation of India’s (NPCI) UPI infrastructure to bolster the global digital payments landscape.
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