In a major move to enhance the convenience of Indian tourists visiting Paris, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) announced that tourists can now use India’s Unified Payment Interface (UPI) for booking tickets to the iconic Eiffel Tower.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) collaborated with Lyra, a leading French company specializing in securing e-commerce and proximity payments, to introduce UPI as a payment mechanism in France. The announcement was made at an event organized by the Indian Embassy in France to celebrate India’s Republic Day.
This development is particularly significant as Indian tourists rank as the second-largest group of international visitors to the Eiffel Tower. The acceptance of UPI offers a quick, easy, and hassle-free payment option for Indian tourists booking their visits online.
Tourists can now use their UPI-powered apps to scan a QR code generated on the merchant website, initiating a secure and efficient payment process. The move not only benefits Indian tourists but also presents opportunities for merchants in the tourism and retail sectors across France and Europe.
While the Eiffel Tower becomes the first merchant in France to accept UPI payments, the service is expected to extend to other merchants in the tourism and retail space. This extension will enable Indian visitors to remotely book various services such as hotels and museum visits during their stay in France.
Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, expressed the ambition to enable NPCI’s payment solutions in international markets and create a globally interoperable payment system. The collaboration with Lyra represents a significant step toward this goal, providing consumers with secure cross-border payment solutions.
Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France, expressed pride in launching UPI in Europe and highlighted the strength of their collaboration with India. Having been present in India for 17 years, Lyra sees this partnership as a major advancement for the French and European tourism ecosystem, offering new business opportunities.
This strategic move aligns with the broader trend of promoting digital payments and interoperability across borders. The collaboration between NPCI and Lyra aims to make international transactions more accessible and seamless for Indian travelers, setting the stage for further advancements in cross-border payment solutions.
