Indians will soon be able to use the Unified Payments Interface in Japan

This significantly reduces the need for physical cash exchange or foreign exchange cards and all cross-border transactions are automatically tracked in their UPI app

Indian tourists will be able to make payments at merchant locations acquired by NTT DATA by scanning QR codes

Published on:

27 Oct 2025, 6:06 am

Updated on:

27 Oct 2025, 6:06 am

2 min read

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NTT DATA Japan to enable UPI acceptance. Indian tourists will be able to make payments at merchant locations acquired by NTT DATA by scanning QR codes using their regular UPI apps. Between January and August 2025, Japan welcomed over 208,000 Indian visitors, which represents a 36 percent increase compared to the same period in the previous year (2024).

Japan marks UPI's first foray into the East Asian market!

This significantly reduces the need for physical cash exchange or foreign exchange cards

The initiative aims to provide a seamless and familiar digital payment experience and reduce the reliance on cash or foreign cards for Indian travellers in Japan. The partnership is currently in the foundational and implementation stage. The services are not yet live but will be rolled out soon, allowing Indian tourists to use their UPI apps at select merchants.

This marks UPI's first foray into the East Asian market, showcasing India's growing influence in the global fintech space. The parties will use their existing UPI-enabled apps from India (like PhonePe, Google Pay, Paytm, etc.). No new apps or local bank accounts will be required. The payment will be debited from the user's Indian bank account in Indian Rupees (INR), with real-time conversion into the Japanese Yen for the merchant.

India will use their existing UPI-enabled apps

Benefits for travellers

Initially, UPI will be accepted at merchant locations acquired by NTT DATA Japan. NTT DATA operates CAFIS (Card Payment Processing Network), Japan's largest card payment processing network, which will facilitate the seamless integration. More merchants are expected to join in phases.

This significantly reduces the need for physical cash exchange or foreign exchange cards and all cross-border transactions are automatically tracked in their UPI app. It also aligns with Japan's broader strategy to promote a cashless society while tapping into the growing and affluent Indian tourist segment. The dramatic increase in Indian tourists traveling to Japan is a key reason and major driver for the decision to roll out UPI services.

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