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Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services will be available to all users of the popular instant messaging platform WhatsApp. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Tuesday removed the limit on adding UPI users to WhatsApp Pay. This will enable all WhatsApp users in the country to avail of these payment services.

Earlier, NPCI had allowed WhatsApp Pay to increase the number of its UPI users in a phased manner. There was a limit of 10 crore users for WhatsApp. This limit has been removed by NPCI. The notification issued in this regard states, "The limit on adding users for WhatsApp Pay has been removed. WhatsApp Pay will continue to follow the existing UPI guidelines and circulars applicable for TPAP." Along with this, NPCI has extended the deadline for implementing the volume limit related to UPI for two years.

In July this year, NPCI launched the UPI One World Wallet service for non-resident Indians (NRIs) and international travelers visiting the country. This will allow travelers who do not have an Indian bank account to access UPI and make payments. NPCI has launched this service in collaboration with IDFC First Bank and Transcorp International Limited under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). NPCI had said that with the UPI One World wallet, travelers visiting the country will be able to make digital payments to merchants in a secure manner. In this, foreign travelers and NRIs will have to download a prepaid payment instrument - the UPI app. With this, they will be able to make payments by scanning the QR code of the merchants using the camera of their smartphone.

This service can be used for merchants and hotels as well as for online shopping and travel booking. UPI is also expanding rapidly abroad. Recently this QR-based service was launched in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For this, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) had signed an agreement with Network International.

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