Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and Ant International have announced the launch of cross-border payments between NEPALPAY QR and Alipay+. The launch was announced at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, where it was announced that over 875,000 merchants in Nepal can now accept cross-border mobile payments from travelers from Asia and beyond. The launch will enable travelers from 10 countries and regions to use their home payment apps, including leading e-wallets and bank apps, to pay at more than 875,000 merchants associated with the interoperable NEPALPAY QR network in Nepal. Alipay+ will enable its partners to use NEPALPAY QR for a seamless cross-border payment experience in Nepal.
Mr. Vishrut Thapa, Chairman, NCHL said: I am delighted to see one of the first QR payment linkage between Nepal and Alipay+ that has been rolled out within just six months since the MOU between both the partners was signed. This achievement is surely in line with the strategic plan of the Nepal Rastra Bank to enable our retail payment system for global payment linkages. It is also a testament to our close cooperation, commitment and collaboration between NCHL and Ant International to create seamless cross-border payment connectivity.
Neelesh Man Singh Pradhan, Chief Executive Officer, NCHL, said: “This is the first ever rollout announcement of cross-border payments for NEPALPAY QR and our interoperable QR.We are extremely delighted to showcase Nepal’s QR scheme and our retail payment system in the global arena. This partnership will help foster the tourism sector in Nepal and also expected to enable seamless cross-border digital payments for the travelers of various countries who choose Nepal as their preferred destination. This partnership between NCHL and Alipay+ for enabling merchant payments is a major milestone for both the entities for their commitment towards fostering global partnerships.”
Edward Yue, General Manager for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Ant International said: “Nepal stands to benefit from tourism growth, given a growing preference for more sustainable and unique experiences, and together with NCHL, we’re proud to support joint innovation to benefit both local businesses and global consumers. Standardized QR paymentslike NEPALPAY QR are a visionary development towards more vibrant and inclusive growth– and with tourism expected to grow even further in the coming year, we’re excited to support our partners and merchants in Nepal and around the world towards a new future of travel.”
The launch follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between NCHL and Ant International in May 2024.
