Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) and Ant International have partnered to enhance the digital payment experience for travelers visiting Nepal. Under this collaboration, users of over ten prominent mobile wallets and banking applications affiliated with Alipay+ can conduct cashless transactions at over 800,000 merchants nationwide by scanning NEPALPAY QR codes or other interoperable QR codes.
NCHL has developed and implemented NEPALPAY QR in line with NepalQR standards established by Nepal Rastra Bank. It operates within the framework of the National Payment Switch, facilitating interoperability at both merchant and network levels. This partnership is particularly timely given Nepal’s increasing popularity as a travel destination, attracting over 416,069 tourists between January and April 2024 alone.
Edward Yue, General Manager of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand at Ant International, highlighted that this partnership enhances cross-border payments in Nepal, digitalizing the travel and payments experience for consumers and local businesses. It enables tourists to make mobile payments conveniently at even the smallest merchants, opening up new local experiences and supporting Nepal’s tourism-driven economy.
Launched in 2020, Alipay+ has rapidly expanded its network to over 88 million merchants across 57 countries and regions, connecting them with 1.5 billion consumer accounts spanning over 25 e-wallets and banking applications. By partnering with national QR schemes like NEPALPAY QR, Alipay+ strengthens its ecosystem and fosters smoother transactions for a more connected global travel experience.
