In a major boost to digital payments, PayPal has announced plans to integrate Unified Payments Interface (UPI) into its PayPal World platform, enabling seamless cross-border transactions between Indian UPI users and global merchants. This integration will allow Indian users to make international purchases directly using UPI, strengthening India’s role in the global digital payments landscape.
Expanding UPI’s Global Reach
This development follows PayPal’s collaboration with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the organization responsible for internationalising India’s UPI and RuPay networks. The partnership marks a critical step in expanding UPI’s global footprint by connecting it with PayPal’s vast international merchant base.
Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, stated that the initiative would “enhance convenience for Indian users making payments abroad while enabling global merchants to access India’s growing UPI user base.”
Soon, Indian consumers shopping on global platforms will see UPI as a payment option when clicking the PayPal checkout button, simplifying overseas purchases without relying on credit or debit cards.
PayPal World: Building a Unified Global Payments Network
The PayPal World initiative is a comprehensive effort to connect multiple digital payment systems and wallets across the globe. PayPal has partnered with platforms such as Latin America’s Mercado Pago, China’s TenPay Global, US-based Venmo, and India’s NIPL.
These integrations will enable interoperability between different payment systems, allowing users of connected wallets to execute cross-border transactions seamlessly. The system leverages open commerce APIs and a cloud native, multi-region architecture designed to ensure low latency and high availability worldwide.
Global Reach and Next-Gen Capabilities
According to PayPal, the PayPal World platform could potentially connect nearly two billion users across global markets. It supports dynamic payment buttons and even stablecoin payments, offering merchants flexibility and customers modern, secure options for digital commerce.
By linking India’s robust UPI ecosystem with its international network, PayPal is addressing one of the biggest challenges in digital finance—making cross-border payments as easy as local ones.
