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Freedom251 › Blog › cross-border payments

Can You Use UPI in Nepal? Remittance FAQs on Eligibility, Limits and Refunds

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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Yes, but only in a specific sense. Indian users can pay participating Nepali merchants by scanning an eligible cross-border UPI QR code. That documented service is a person-to-merchant (P2M) payment, not proof that you can send a UPI transfer to any individual in Nepal. For person-to-person money transfers, the separate Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility (INRF) uses India’s NEFT system, with different limits, delivery rules and refunds.

The practical rule is simple: use supported UPI Global functionality for a merchant purchase, and use the INRF process through an NEFT-enabled bank branch when you are sending money to a beneficiary.

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What “using UPI in Nepal” actually covers

NPCI International and Fonepay announced the Nepal service on 8 March 2024. The first phase lets Indian consumers make QR-based UPI payments at business stores in Nepal that are acquired by participating members of the Fonepay network. This is a merchant transaction: you buy something, the merchant presents an accepting QR, and your linked Indian bank account is debited.

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The announcement does not establish universal acceptance of every Nepali QR code. It also does not establish a general UPI person-to-person remittance service to Nepal. A QR code that works for a local Nepali wallet or bank may not accept an Indian UPI transaction. Acceptance depends on the merchant’s network, your app and your bank.

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RBI’s INRF is a different product. RBI defines it as “a cross-border remittance scheme to transfer funds from India to Nepal (one-way only), enabled under the NEFT ecosystem.” It is designed to send money to a named beneficiary, not to pay a shop at a checkout counter.

UPI payment and INRF remittance compared

Question UPI QR merchant payment Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility
Primary purpose Pay a participating merchant in Nepal Send money from India to a beneficiary in Nepal
Route UPI-enabled app using an accepting cross-border QR NEFT through an NEFT-enabled Indian bank branch
Direction Indian consumer to Nepali merchant One-way, India to Nepal
Limit evidence Nepal-specific cap is not stated in the reviewed official material RBI FAQ updated 27 September 2023: ₹2 lakh per transaction for account holders; ₹50,000 per transaction and 12 remittances a year for walk-in senders
Beneficiary account Not relevant; the recipient is the merchant Not mandatory under the RBI-described process
Failure or refund Merchant requests a refund through its bank; Nepal-specific timing is not stated Undelivered funds return through NEFT; cash senders need the application counterfoil

How to pay a Nepali merchant with UPI

1. Confirm that your account and app are eligible

NPCI’s international-payment guidance says to activate UPI Global or UPI International for the specific bank account in a UPI-powered app. Availability is not universal. The official material reviewed for this article does not provide a current, complete list of Indian apps and banks that support Nepal payments, so check the international-payments setting in your own app and your bank’s current terms.

Activation may be an opt-in setting rather than an automatic feature. Select the bank account you intend to use, complete any authentication the app requests, and check whether Nepal is shown as a supported destination. If the setting is absent, do not assume that scanning a QR will work; ask the bank or app provider whether cross-border UPI is enabled for that account.

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2. Check the merchant’s QR acceptance

Look for a QR marked for UPI acceptance, such as a BHIM UPI or network-partner acceptance mark described in NPCI’s guidance. The presence of a QR alone is not enough. Ask the merchant whether it accepts Indian UPI and, if necessary, request the cross-border QR intended for international customers.

3. Scan and inspect the payment screen

Scan the accepting QR from the activated UPI app. Before authorising, review the merchant name, the amount in Nepalese currency and the corresponding Indian-rupee amount shown by the app. Check the displayed exchange rate and any applicable fee or markup. The conversion shown at authorisation is the figure that matters for your decision; do not rely on a mental conversion or a rate seen elsewhere.

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4. Authorise and keep the reference

Approve the payment only after the payee and amount match the purchase. Save the in-app confirmation and transaction reference. Ask the merchant to confirm receipt before leaving, especially if the app shows a pending status. A screenshot is useful for your records, but the transaction reference is the key identifier when contacting the app, bank or merchant.

Eligibility, availability and limits

There is no confirmed universal Nepal UPI limit

The reviewed NPCI material does not state one Nepal-specific transaction ceiling, daily cap or exchange-rate policy that applies to every bank and app. Your bank, the app, the merchant’s acquiring network and regulatory controls can each affect whether a payment is approved. A failed payment therefore does not necessarily mean that UPI is unavailable throughout Nepal.

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Check the limit displayed in your app and the bank’s international-transaction terms before making a high-value purchase. Keep enough balance for the rupee amount plus any disclosed charge, and remember that a foreign-currency amount can change with the conversion used at authorisation.

Merchant acceptance is narrower than “all QR codes”

The documented launch refers to merchants acquired by participating Fonepay-network members. It does not say that every merchant in Nepal, every bank QR or every local wallet QR accepts Indian UPI. If a scan produces an unsupported-network message, ask for another accepting QR or use another payment method rather than repeatedly retrying.

Sending money to a person in Nepal: use INRF, not a normal UPI transfer

For a family member or other beneficiary, the RBI-described route is the Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility. It operates through NEFT-enabled Indian bank branches. The Indian bank sends the remittance information through the designated process; the funds are pooled at a designated SBI branch and the details are sent electronically to Nepal SBI Ltd. This is not a UPI transfer, even if your bank also offers UPI.

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Account-holding sender limits

In the RBI FAQ updated 27 September 2023, a sender who maintains an account with an NEFT-enabled Indian bank branch may remit up to ₹2 lakh per transaction. The same FAQ says there is no annual limit on the number of remittances for such account holders. These are dated RBI figures; confirm the bank’s current rules, documentation and charges before relying on them.

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Walk-in or non-customer limits

A walk-in or non-customer sender is limited to ₹50,000 per transaction and 12 remittances in a year under that FAQ. The counter may require identity and remittance details before accepting cash. Because this category has both a per-transaction and annual limit, keep your own record of transfers rather than assuming a rejected payment is a technical error.

What to take to the bank

Ask an NEFT-enabled branch whether it handles INRF and what identification or beneficiary information it currently requires. Enter the beneficiary’s name and destination details exactly as instructed. Before leaving, obtain the remittance application counterfoil and the UTR (Unique Transaction Reference). A cash sender needs the counterfoil to claim a refund if the transfer is returned.

Does the beneficiary need a Nepal bank account?

No. RBI’s process allows account credit through Nepal SBI Ltd. where an account and branch service are available. If the beneficiary does not have an NSBL account, or is in an area without an NSBL branch, RBI says NSBL has an arrangement with Prabhu Money Transfer for cash delivery in Nepalese rupees.

For cash collection, the beneficiary normally provides the UTR and photo identification, generally a Nepal Citizenship Certificate. Give the UTR only to the intended beneficiary and keep it private until collection. If the beneficiary does not approach the money-transfer company within one week, the RBI FAQ says the remittance is arranged for return to the originator.

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INRF charges: dated figures and what they do not cover

For transactions up to ₹50,000, the RBI FAQ updated 27 September 2023 lists an originating-bank charge of up to ₹5 per transaction and an SBI charge of ₹20 per transaction. When the beneficiary has no NSBL account, it lists an additional cash-delivery charge of ₹50 for remittances up to ₹5,000 or ₹75 for amounts above ₹5,000.

For transfers above ₹50,000, the FAQ points to SBI’s prescribed charges instead of stating one amount. The figures above are not a promise of today’s price: banks can revise tariffs, and the final amount can depend on the sender category and delivery method. Ask for a written or on-screen fee breakdown before submitting the remittance.

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What happens when a payment or remittance fails?

Failed or disputed merchant UPI purchase

For a merchant purchase, NPCI’s general UPI FAQ says the merchant asks its bank to refund the charged amount under that bank’s process. It does not provide a Nepal-specific refund deadline or a universal promise about when your account will be credited.

  1. Record the UPI transaction reference, date, amount, merchant name and the status shown in your app.
  2. Ask the merchant to initiate the refund through its bank and keep any receipt or message confirming the request.
  3. Contact your UPI app or linked bank with the reference if the merchant cannot resolve the issue or the debit remains unresolved.
  4. Do not treat the INRF return procedure as the rule for a QR purchase; the two transactions use different systems.

If the app shows “pending,” avoid paying a second time until the first transaction’s status is clear or the merchant confirms that no debit was received.

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Undelivered INRF remittance

An undelivered INRF transfer is returned through NEFT to the originating bank branch. When the sender’s account was debited, the returned amount is credited back to that account and the branch informs the sender. A walk-in sender who paid cash must present the remittance-application counterfoil as proof to obtain the refund.

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For non-credit, delayed credit or another INRF problem, RBI directs the sender to the NEFT Customer Facilitation Centre of the originating bank and/or SBI. If the matter remains unresolved, the RBI NEFT Help Desk or designated contact point can be approached. Keep the UTR, counterfoil, identity details and any branch complaint number together.

A practical decision guide

  • You are paying a shop, hotel or other business: use an activated cross-border UPI feature only when the merchant displays an accepting QR and the app shows the payee and conversion details.
  • You are sending money to a person: ask an NEFT-enabled Indian bank branch about INRF; do not describe the transaction as a UPI remittance.
  • The recipient has no Nepal bank account: ask the branch to arrange the documented cash-delivery option and tell the beneficiary which UTR and identification will be needed.
  • You need a refund: identify whether the debit was a merchant UPI purchase or an INRF transfer, then follow the corresponding process and retain the transaction reference.

Questions to verify before you travel or remit

  • Does your particular bank account have UPI Global or international payments enabled?
  • Does the merchant’s QR belong to a network that accepts Indian UPI?
  • What exchange rate and fee does the app display immediately before authorisation?
  • Which branch will process your INRF remittance, and what identification does it require?
  • Will the beneficiary collect cash or receive an NSBL account credit?
  • Have you saved the UTR, counterfoil and the bank’s complaint contact?

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send money from India to Nepal using a regular UPI person-to-person transfer?

The documented Nepal UPI launch covers QR payments to participating merchants. For a beneficiary remittance, use the separate NEFT-based Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility through an eligible bank branch.

Is a Nepal bank account required to receive an INRF remittance?

No. The RBI-described process supports account credit through Nepal SBI Ltd. where available and cash delivery in Nepalese rupees through the named money-transfer arrangement when an NSBL account or branch is unavailable.

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What is the UPI limit in Nepal?

The reviewed official material does not state a single Nepal-wide UPI cap. Check the limit and fees shown by your app and bank for the specific account and transaction.

How long does a Nepal merchant UPI refund take?

No Nepal-specific turnaround is stated in the reviewed NPCI material. The merchant must request the refund through its bank; retain the transaction reference and follow up with the merchant and your app or bank.

What identification is used for cash collection in Nepal?

The RBI FAQ says the beneficiary provides the UTR and photo identification, generally a Nepal Citizenship Certificate.

The Bottom Line

UPI can work in Nepal for eligible Indian users paying participating merchants by QR. It is not the documented route for sending money to an individual. Use the NEFT-based Indo-Nepal Remittance Facility for that purpose, apply its dated RBI limits and charges carefully, and keep the UTR or merchant transaction reference so you can follow the correct return process if something goes wrong.

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