RuPay Cards Acquiring

His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi Prime Minister of India and His Excellency Dr. Lotay Tshering Prime Minister of Bhutan, jointly launched the RuPay card scheme (Phase I) in Thimphu on 17th August 2019. Bhutan is now the second country to accept RuPay. It allows Indian nationals to do transactions through ATM and POS terminals across Bhutan. The transaction limits are set by the issuer banks in India.

RuPay Cards Issuing

Likewise, this facility was made available for Bhutanese travelers and students in India with the launch of RuPay phase II in 2020. It allows Bhutanese to withdraw INR from ATM terminals and make payments through POS terminals across India. Currently, Bhutan National Bank Limited and T Bank Limited issue the RuPay branded cards in Bhutan.

UPI Global QR

After a successful launch of the first two phases of the project, the RMA and the National Payments Corporation of India have rolled out a third phase, acceptance of UPI Global QR transactions as per the announcement made during the launch of first phase of the project. BHIM UPI acceptance was initiated on March 20, 2021 and was digitally launched by Her Excellency Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Hon’ble Finance Minister of India, and His Excellency Namgay Tshering, the Hon’ble Finance Minister of Bhutan on 13th July 2021.

With the implementation of UPI Global QR, UPI Global QR aims to empower Indian tourists traveling in Bhutan by facilitating merchant payment through UPI powered apps. With the QR code scan, individuals can effortlessly initiate transactions, eliminating the necessity for cash or card-based payments. This progressive payment method not only aligns with the digital payment trends but also promotes a convenient payment experience for Indian tourists visiting Bhutan.