NPCI makes changes in international UPI transactions via QR share & Pay: When UPI users can pay and when not

In a significant regulatory update that impacts global digital payments, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a directive halting all international UPI transactions made through the “QR Share & Pay” method. The announcement, detailed in a circular dated April 8, 2025, is effective retroactively from April 4, 2025. Under the new regulation, international merchant payments initiated by scanning QR codes saved in device galleries—rather than physically present codes—will no longer be allowed. This policy change affects all Payment Service Provider (PSP) apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe, and Paytm that facilitate India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) services abroad.
Currently, UPI-based QR payments are supported in multiple countries including France, Nepal, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the UAE. The restriction aims to curb potential fraud and improve oversight in international financial transactions. While domestic QR share-and-pay transactions remain valid, they are subject to limits and merchant verification protocols.

The “QR Share & Pay” method allowed merchants to share static QR codes through digital platforms such as WhatsApp or email, which customers could then save and scan via UPI apps to make payments. This mode of transaction was particularly popular among small and medium-sized businesses, as well as Indian tourists and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) making purchases abroad.
This method offered convenience by removing the need for physical presence during payment, supporting remote transactions across borders. For example, an Indian tourist in Singapore could purchase an item, receive the merchant’s QR code digitally, and complete the transaction through an Indian UPI app—even after returning home.

According to NPCI’s April 2025 circular, the following key changes have been implemented:


The decision to suspend international QR Share & Pay transactions is primarily motivated by fraud prevention. QR codes—especially when shared remotely—can be tampered with or misused by malicious actors to steal data or redirect payments.
Rahul Jain, CFO of NTT DATA Payment Services India, noted that P2M transactions with unverified or foreign merchants posed elevated fraud risks, as reported by The Economic Times. Without physical verification or merchant onboarding, the system becomes susceptible to unauthorized fund transfers and phishing attacks. By disallowing remote QR payments overseas, NPCI aims to strengthen control and traceability of outbound UPI flows.

For users:

For merchants:


While international usage has been restricted, NPCI has clarified that the QR Share & Pay method can still be used within India, provided certain guidelines are followed:


The same circular introduces another critical change: users will no longer be allowed to load prepaid wallets or gift cards using the “collect request” feature. A collect request refers to a payment request initiated by the merchant that the user must approve. This method has increasingly been associated with scams and phishing attempts.
Rohit Mahajan, Managing Partner at Plutos ONE, noted that NPCI is phasing out collect requests—particularly from unverified merchants—to enhance consumer protection. Users can now only top up their wallets via push transactions, which are user-initiated and considered safer.

According to Jai Kumar, Co-Founder of TechFini, while these changes may reduce convenience, especially for cross-border transactions, they offer significant improvements in security and regulatory oversight. The updated guidelines represent NPCI’s strategic shift toward minimizing high-risk transactions and improving traceability within the expanding UPI ecosystem.