Travelers from various Asian and European countries can now easily make payments at over 875,000 merchants across Nepal using their mobile payment apps, thanks to a partnership between Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and Ant International, the operator of Alipay+.
This collaboration, introduced at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, allows users of Alipay+ to complete transactions by scanning NEPALPAY QR codes at participating merchants. The service supports a broad range of mobile payment apps, including Alipay (China), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR), MPay (Macao SAR), Touch ’n Go eWallet and MyPB (Malaysia), GCash (Philippines), Naver Pay and Toss Pay (South Korea), TrueMoney (Thailand), Hipay (Mongolia), Tinaba (Italy), and Singapore’s Changi Pay and OCBC Digital.
The partnership aims to boost tourism in Nepal by providing a seamless, efficient payment solution for international visitors. It also aligns with the vision of Nepal’s central bank to enhance global payment connectivity, promoting Nepal as an accessible destination for global travelers.
In May 2024, NCHL and Ant International formalized their collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding, setting the stage for the official rollout of the service six months later.