Kathmandu: Visa (NYSE: V), the global leader in digital payments, is partnering with Fonepay,a leading payment network in Nepal, to introduce its Scan to Pay solution for international travelers to pay in Nepal using Fonepay’s QR scheme. This collaboration is expected to make cross-border payments by incoming tourists using Visa credentials secure, seamless and convenient.
The Scan to Pay solution by Visa and Fonepay will greatly enhance the shopping experience of people traveling to Nepal by enabling Visa card payments at over 1.5 million QR merchants across Nepal. International travelers who have tokenised Visa credentials in their preferred digital wallet apps will soon to be able to pay using their Visa cards when scanning a Fonepay QR in Nepal.
Sabbir Ahmed, Country Manager, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, Visa said, “We are delighted to partner with Fonepay to enable consumers and tourists in Nepal to use Visa cards to scan and pay digitally anywhere, everywhere. This is a significant milestone in Visa’s partnership with Fonepay, and we eagerly look forward to bringing to the nation, more innovative, simple and secure ways to pay and be paid.”
Diwas Sapkota, Chief Executive Officer, Fonepay said, “This partnership is a significant step in expanding Fonepay’s QR Scheme as the preferred cross border payment scheme in Nepal, bringing seamless and secure digital transactions experience to Visa cardholders around the globe in alternative payment rails like QR payment acceptance.
By integrating Visa’s extensive global network with Fonepay’s strong QR payment infrastructure, we are making cross-border transactions more accessible and convenient. This collaboration will further accelerate digital payment adoption, benefiting merchants of all sizes and driving financial inclusion across Nepal.”
QR codes, one of the most popular payment methods in Nepal and across Asia, will make it simple for Visa cardholders to make cashless payments at over a million merchant outlets in the country, reducing transaction time and empowering secure digital payments. The small business and merchant community too will benefit greatly from accepting card payments without a POS (Point of Sale) machine while large retail stores will be able to service faster queues and quicker checkouts with enhanced fraud protection.
Visa has been working closely with banks and partners in Nepal to enhance digital payment adoption and acceptance by consumers and merchants across the country. Enabling consumers to use Visa cards on Fonepay is another significant step in deepening its commitment to digitising Nepal with convenient, secure digital payments for cardholders to pay digitally in Nepal.