Can tourists set up Google Pay, PhonePe or Paytm for UPI?

Only with an Indian bank account and Indian phone number, which most tourists can’t get. Without them these apps can’t be linked to UPI, so visitors use a prepaid UPI wallet like ZikPe instead.

What do I need to start using UPI as a foreigner?

A passport, a valid Indian visa, and an international Visa or Mastercard to load the wallet. With ZikPe that’s enough to sign up and pay any UPI QR across India.

Can NRIs use UPI in India?

Yes. NRIs with an NRE/NRO account can link some Indian apps, and those without one can use a prepaid UPI wallet like ZikPe, loaded from an international card.

Is it safe for foreigners to use UPI?

Yes, with a regulated issuer. ZikPe is issued by ZikZuk Technologies, authorised by the Reserve Bank of India as a prepaid payment instrument issuer, with balances held in escrow at a scheduled commercial bank.

Can foreigners use UPI in India? Yes — here’s how (2026)

Q: Can foreigners use UPI without an Indian bank account?

Yes. Standard UPI apps need an Indian bank account, but a prepaid UPI wallet issued under RBI’s prepaid payment instrument rules does not. ZikPe is loaded from your international card and spends at any UPI QR.

The short answer: yes

Foreigners can use UPI in India. UPI (Unified Payments Interface) is India’s real-time payment network — merchants show a QR code and you pay from your phone. Almost every shop, auto-rickshaw and food stall takes it.

The only catch is that the regular UPI apps link to an Indian bank account, which tourists and most new NRIs can’t open. The fix is a prepaid UPI wallet — and ZikPe is built exactly for this.

Why regular UPI doesn’t work for most foreigners

Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm connect to UPI through an Indian bank account and Indian mobile number. Without those, they can’t be set up — which is why visitors who try to “just download a UPI app” get stuck at the bank-linking step. A prepaid UPI wallet skips that requirement entirely: it’s issued under RBI’s prepaid payment instrument rules and funded by your own card.

How foreigners use UPI with ZikPe

Download ZikPe and sign up with your passport and visa — no Indian bank account needed.
Top up with your international Visa or Mastercard. The app shows the rupee amount, fees included, before you confirm.
Scan any UPI QR and pay. Tickets, food, autos, shops and stays — the same QR codes locals use.
Leaving India? Request a refund of what’s left to your original card, as permitted under RBI rules.

What ZikPe gives foreigners that cards and cash don’t

Pays the vendors cards can’t: street stalls, autos and small shops that only take UPI.
No Indian bank account: sign up on your passport and visa.
Transparent rates: see the rupees you’ll get, fees included, before you top up.
Refundable balance: get unused money back when you leave.
RBI-regulated: issued by ZikZuk Technologies, funds held in escrow.

So, can foreigners use UPI in India? Use ZikPe

Yes — and the simplest way is ZikPe, the UPI wallet built for foreign tourists and NRIs. See ZikPe for tourists and NRIs, read how to use UPI in India as a foreigner, or compare the best online payment apps for foreigners in India.

Questions

Yes. Foreign tourists and NRIs can use UPI in India through a regulated prepaid UPI wallet such as ZikPe — you sign up on your passport and visa, load money from an international Visa or Mastercard, and pay any UPI QR. No Indian bank account is required.

Rules for prepaid payment instruments and refunds are set by the Reserve Bank of India and may change. Check the ZikPe app for current features, fees and eligibility.