PayPal Brings UPI to the Global Stage with PayPal World Launch

In a historic development in digital payments, PayPal has formally joined hands with NPCI International to launch UPI support on its new cross-border platform, PayPal World. The news was announced at the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai, heralding a new era in India's digital payments revolution. With this tie-up, PayPal is the first global payment behemoth to seamlessly integrate India's favorite payment system, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), both for domestic and global transactions.

Indian Users Now Able to Pay Across the World with UPI

For Indian users numbering millions, this integration means a whole new level of convenience. PayPal now supports direct payments using UPI for local and international purchases alike, doing away with the use of credit or debit cards. Users can just enter their UPI ID at the time of checkout and confirm the payment using their choice of UPI app Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, or BHIM.

This step perfectly resonates with India's UPI-first digital economy, allowing users to shop or subscribe anywhere in the world and pay safely in Indian Rupees (INR). PayPal takes care of all the currency conversion behind the scenes, providing a seamless, transparent experience for consumers.

Empowering International Travelers and Merchants

PayPal World is not merely convenient for Indian customers it's a huge advantage for international travelers and businesses as well. Travelers all over the world can now settle payments with Indian merchants directly through UPI using their PayPal accounts, bridging India's digital ecosystem and the world at large.

For companies, the advantage is even larger. Businesses everywhere that accept PayPal will automatically be able to accept UPI payments, opening them up to more than 500 million active UPI users in India. That translates into reduced transaction costs, quicker settlements, and a simpler way to reach India's fast-expanding digital economy.

The integration leverages secure APIs and cloud-native technologies, ensuring both speed and compliance with global fintech standards. Whether paying for a local subscription or an international product, users can expect instant, low-friction payments powered by UPI’s infrastructure and PayPal’s trusted ecosystem.

UPI Goes Global

This partnership may reimagine the future of cross-border digital payments. UPI, now fueling more than 85% of India's retail digital transactions, now makes its entry onto the international fintech space with PayPal's presence. It's a giant leap in taking India's payments technology global, making UPI a global benchmark for low-cost, real-time digital payments.

For PayPal, the move reinstates it to the forefront in India's rapidly changing UPI-led market, following decades of relegation to the back burner by indigenous payments systems. The merging together of PayPal's global reputation with India's fintech capabilities brings about a robustly inclusive payment ecosystem.

What It Means for the Future of Payments

The PayPal-UPI alliance marks a new age of digital commerce one in which borders and currencies no longer define access to money. It reinforces India's position as a fintech power player globally, and empowers consumers and merchants with the means to pay securely, efficiently, and affordably anywhere on the planet.

At its core, PayPal + UPI = India's digital payments on the global stage.