How To Use Paytm As NRI? Paytm Opens UPI Access for 12 Countries

For years, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) visiting home have faced one common frustration — making small, everyday payments. Whether it’s splitting a restaurant bill, booking a cab, or paying at the neighborhood store, not having an Indian mobile number or UPI-linked account often meant relying on cash or relatives. Now, that friction may finally disappear.

In a landmark move that could redefine how NRIs stay financially connected to India, Paytm — India’s leading fintech and full-stack merchant payments platform — has announced that NRIs from 12 countries can now log into the Paytm app using their international mobile numbers and make seamless UPI payments directly through their NRE or NRO bank accounts.

This means that Indians living abroad can now use Paytm UPI for day-to-day payments — from paying at local shops and restaurants to transferring money or shopping online — without the need for an Indian SIM card or international payment gateways.

Paytm Goes Global

This new capability brings a massive shift in convenience. NRIs can now scan any UPI QR code in India and pay directly through their Indian bank accounts, just like domestic users. They can also make instant money transfers to friends and family in India or move funds between their own accounts — all while avoiding traditional remittance delays and high foreign exchange costs.

The feature, powered by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is currently being rolled out in beta mode and will be available soon to all eligible users.

12 Countries on the List — More to Come

At launch, the service is open to Indians living in the following countries:
Singapore, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, the USA, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the UK, France, and Malaysia.

This initiative marks one of the most extensive global rollouts of UPI accessibility for the Indian diaspora. By allowing international numbers to function seamlessly within the Indian UPI ecosystem, Paytm has effectively bridged a long-standing gap between NRIs and their financial transactions back home.

How NRIs Can Use Paytm

The setup process is simple and user-friendly:

1. Download and open the Paytm app.

2. Login using your international mobile number.

3. Verify the number through an SMS.

4. Link your NRE/NRO bank account.

5. Start making UPI payments instantly across India.

The entire process takes just a few minutes and eliminates the need for an Indian SIM card — a game-changer for NRIs visiting the country or managing their finances from abroad.

More Than Just Payments — Paytm’s Growing UPI Suite

Beyond this new NRI feature, Paytm continues to expand its suite of innovations designed to make digital payments smarter and more intuitive. Users can:

• Download UPI statements in PDF or Excel format.

• Get spend analysis and classification to track expenses.

• Hide specific payments for privacy.

• View total balances across all linked bank accounts.

• And even generate fun, AI-powered rap songs about recent transactions through “Paytm Playback.”

These quirky yet functional features reflect Paytm’s broader ambition — to make digital payments not only secure and efficient but also engaging and deeply personalized.

A Global Step for Indian Fintech

With this update, Paytm has further strengthened India’s position as a global digital payments leader. The country’s UPI system — already admired worldwide for its simplicity and scale — is now becoming more inclusive for Indians abroad.

For NRIs, this means one less barrier between their lives overseas and their financial footprint in India. For Paytm and India’s fintech ecosystem, it signals another step toward making UPI a global payments standard.

As UPI’s international adoption continues to grow, this move may well set the stage for a future where Indian digital payments travel as effortlessly as Indians themselves.