PhonePe has partnered with Visa to build a broader cardless payments ecosystem for Indian consumers and merchants, with new capabilities spanning in-store purchases, online payments and transactions while travelling abroad.
Announced at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai, the partnership introduces three payment solutions: Tap to Pay, Cross Border Scan to Pay and Smart Accept. PhonePe said it is the first app in India to offer Visa’s cross-border QR payment capability.
The development comes as Indian fintech companies and payment networks increasingly look beyond domestic UPI transactions towards international payments and more seamless digital commerce. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also recently called for wider integration of UPI with payment systems in other countries, particularly those with large Indian diaspora populations and strong trade links with India.
The partnership builds on Visa Device Tokenization, which PhonePe introduced in February 2025. Users can save their Visa cards on PhonePe and subsequently use their smartphones for different forms of payment without carrying the physical card.
The first of the new offerings, Tap to Pay, will allow Android users to tokenize their Visa cards on PhonePe and make contactless payments by tapping their smartphones against compatible point-of-sale terminals.
The feature begins rolling out from September 9 and will be introduced progressively. PhonePe said it is designed to work even in low-connectivity environments.
This effectively shifts the physical card from the centre of the payment experience to the smartphone. Instead of taking out a Visa card at checkout, users can simply tap their phone at a compatible terminal.
The more significant international component of the partnership is Cross Border Scan to Pay.
The feature will allow PhonePe users to scan Visa-supported QR codes when travelling across 14 international markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, China and South Korea. The feature is expected to roll out to users soon.
For Indian travellers, the proposition is straightforward: instead of relying entirely on cash or physical cards abroad, they can use their PhonePe app to scan supported QR codes and make payments.
As UPI’s international footprint grows it is currently operational in 11 countries and Indian travellers increasingly expect familiar digital payment experiences overseas, partnerships such as PhonePe-Visa could become an important part of the next phase of India’s digital payments story.
