India launches tap-and-pay option for real-time payments ahead of full Apple Pay rollout
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FILE PHOTO: A man scans a QR code to pay after purchasing an electronic item at a wholesale market in New Delhi, India, January 31, 2025. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary/File Photo
By Ashwin Manikandan
MUMBAI, Sept 10 (Reuters) - India's payments authority launched a tap-and-pay option in its real-time payments network on Thursday, ahead of an expected full launch of Apple Pay in the country.
The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is the world's largest retail fast-payment system by transaction volume, according to a 2025 IMF report.
It processed 24.51 billion transactions worth 29.82 trillion rupees ($314.21 billion) in August, latest data showed.
The feature will allow users to complete transactions by tapping their smartphone at a point-of-sale terminal without opening the UPI app.
The feature uses near-field communication technology and is designed to work in areas with little or no network connectivity, NPCI's non-executive chairman Ajay Kumar Choudhary said at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai.
A beta version of Apple Pay has been available in India for some time now but a full launch is expected by October, according to local media reports.
(Reporting by Ashwin Manikandan; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)
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