Great news for NRI customers in India, as ICICI Bank announced on Monday, May 6, that they can now use their international mobile number to make UPI payments instantly. ICICI made this announcement in a press release, stating that this will significantly enhance their convenience in making everyday payments.
"With this facility, the NRI customers of the Bank can make payments for their utility bills, merchant and e-commerce transactions with their international mobile number registered with their NRE / NRO bank account held with ICICI Bank in India," the bank stated.
In the past, NRIs needed to register an Indian mobile number with their banks to make UPI payments. Now, they can use their international mobile number to make payments through UPI via ICICI's iMobile Pay mobile banking app.
The Bank has offered this facility across 10 countries, namely the USA, UK, UAE, Canada, Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The bank's NRI customers can now make UPI payments by scanning any Indian QR code and sending money to a UPI ID or any Indian mobile number or Indian bank account.
“We are delighted to partner with NPCI to launch the UPI facility on international mobile number through iMobile Pay. With this facility, our NRI customers residing in 10 countries do not need to switch to an Indian mobile number to pay using UPI. This launch reinforces our commitment to provide our NRI customers with innovative solutions for them to have a safe, secure and hassle-free payment experience. We are witnessing a positive response from our NRI customers who have started using this facility. With this initiative, we intend to leverage on NPCI’s UPI Infrastructure in strengthening and transforming the digital payments ecosystem globally," said Sidharatha Mishra, Head of Digital Channels and Partnerships, ICICI Bank.
Here's how NRI customers can activate the UPI facility on their international mobile numbers using—
Step 1: Log in to the iMobile Pay app
Step 2: Click on ‘UPI Payments’
Step 3: Verify Mobile Number
Step 4: Click on Manage, then go to —>My Profile.
Step 5: Create a new UPI ID (select from the suggested options).
Step 6: Select the account number, then click on —> Submit
