Groundbreaking UPI Technology Launches in Peru: A South American First

Groundbreaking UPI Technology Launches in Peru: A South American First
Groundbreaking UPI Technology Launches in Peru: A South American First

Hey FinTech Fanatic!

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) has partnered with the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP) to introduce a real-time payments system in Peru, similar to the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

This partnership is a significant milestone, positioning Peru as the first South American country to implement the globally acclaimed UPI technology, showcasing India's leadership in digital payment innovation.

The Central Reserve Bank of Peru has signed this deal to deploy the UPI-like system enabling instant payments between individuals and businesses, to reduce reliance on cash and expanding the use of a digital alternative to Peru’s large unbanked population.

Launched in 2016, the UPI has been central to India's efforts to use digital payments to boost financial inclusion and has now handled well over 100 billion transactions.

The NPCI international subsidiary was set up in 2020 to push the UPI, as well as the RuPay card network, outside of India. Earlier this year, the unit struck deals with Namibia and Nepal's largest payment network and it has also joined forces with Google Pay to accelerate global expansion.

Check out my Daily Payments Newsletter if you want to read more Payments news, and I'll be back in your inbox with more tomorrow!

Cheers,

Marcel


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#FINTECHREPORT

📊 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 report, by Invoiced. Explore the current state of the B2B market alongside what shifts and advances we can all likely expect in upcoming years. Link here


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🇵🇱 Marqeta expands European footprint with opening of new office in Poland. Marqeta’s office in Warsaw will support the expansion of its card program management services, bringing its full range of platform offerings and expertise to the European market.

🇮🇳 Signal-based trading app Investmint has halted its services as the company found it difficult to figure out a reliable business model, and explores M&A deal. Sources say the firm had decent traction with substantial money left from the last fundraise but the team couldn’t translate them into monetization. 


PAYMENTS NEWS

🇵🇪 NPCI International and the Central Reserve Bank of Peru Partner to Develop UPI-Like Real-Time Payments System in Peru. This collaboration marks a significant milestone, making Peru the first country in South America to adopt the globally renowned Unified Payment Interface (UPI) technology, a symbol of India's pioneering excellence in digital payments.

🪙 Visa looks to generative AI to enhance tokenisation. Mehret Habteab, senior VP of product and solutions at Visa Europe, told Finextra: “Not only is it powering up those merchants with the additional sales conversion, but it's driving really convenient, secure payment experiences for consumers.”

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🇺🇸 EBay to stop taking American Express after fee dispute. EBay will drop AmEx cards as a payment option on the online marketplace because of “unacceptably high fees,” according to an email reviewed by Bloomberg News. EBay plans to notify customers this week about the change, which is set to take effect Aug. 17.

🇸🇬 HitPay, a Singapore-based commerce platform for SMEs, has earned a major payment institution (MPI) license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The license allows HitPay to offer merchant acquisition and money transfers, both domestic and cross-border, enhancing its core payment gateway services for SMEs.

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🇬🇧 Payabl. expands Latin American payment options. UK-based paytech company Payabl. has announced the integration of four local payment methods in Latin America into its range of local payment solutions: PIX, Boleto, OXXO, and SPEI.


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Mexico truly is the promised land for Neobanks 🤯

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🇧🇪 Viva.com partners with Belgian Beobank, expanding its European synergies as an Acquirer Partner of Choice. The strategic partnership introduces a new partnership model for Belgium, to hasten the adoption of digital payments among Belgian SMEs, delivering a comprehensive business proposition that supports growth.

🇭🇰 The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) is set to replace the term “virtual bank” with “licensed digital bank” for the eight branchless lenders operating in the city to boost public confidence and eliminate negative connotations associated with the term.

🇨🇦 Zūm Rails, the company merging open banking and instant payments so businesses can use any payment rails they want, announced its work on a large-scale Banking as a Service (BaaS) project. Read the full piece here

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M&A

🇮🇹 Worldline rumored to acquire Credem’s Merchant Payment Services. A report of June 4 by Reuters, notes that this is the latest in a series of sales of banks’ “merchant books,” which banks have been unloading as technological advancements require new investments. 

🇺🇸 CSG acquires Florida-based paytech iCG Pay in $17m deal. CSG says that the purchase will provide the company with new independent software vendor (ISV) channel partnerships and a “proven team of payments leaders” to help it expand its footprint in the North American payments market.


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🇺🇸 Julie Thurlow and Sears Merritt Named Co-Chairs of Mass Fintech Hub. They will be responsible for leading Mass Fintech Hub’s Advisory Board, guiding the collaborative’s strategic vision and helping strengthen the state’s FinTech ecosystem with programming that builds community, attracts investment, develops talent and seeds collaboration.


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