New Delhi: PayPal wants to make sending money across borders as easy as paying for groceries with UPI. On Wednesday, the company took a major step in that direction with the launch of “PayPal World,” a global payment platform that connects some of the largest digital wallets and payment systems in the world, including India’s UPI.
The move could bring seamless payments to nearly two billion users. Starting this fall, users of domestic wallets like UPI will be able to shop, pay, and send money internationally using their existing apps. The platform will initially connect PayPal, Venmo, UPI, Mercado Pago, and Tencent’s Tenpay Global.
UPI goes global with PayPal World
India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) will now be part of this global mix. Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NPCI International Payments Limited, said this marks a “significant step in expanding UPI’s global footprint.” He added, “It aligns with our vision to make cross-border payments more seamless, secure, and inclusive. This collaboration will enhance convenience for Indian users making payments abroad.”
Once the platform rolls out, Indian shoppers using UPI will be able to pay for goods on international e-commerce sites that support PayPal. No currency conversion hassles, no juggling multiple apps. Just select UPI at checkout, and the system does the rest.
What PayPal World brings for Indian users
For Indian consumers, especially those already used to the convenience of UPI, this opens up a new level of access. Imagine buying sneakers from a US store and paying directly using UPI, or scanning a QR code in a café in China using PayPal. These small tasks have often required international credit cards or third-party gateways. PayPal wants to make that friction disappear.
Venmo users in the US will also benefit. They’ll soon be able to send money to PayPal users globally, making peer-to-peer international transfers simpler. “Sending money across the world will be as simple as sending a text,” the company said in its press statement.
Big deal for businesses too
For online merchants and small businesses, the benefit is massive. Businesses won’t have to build separate payment systems or deal with local payment rules. PayPal World will handle it under the hood. This means easier access to markets in India, Latin America, and China without extra development work.
Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal, called the platform a “first-of-its-kind payments ecosystem.” He said, “The challenge of moving money across borders is incredibly complex, and yet this platform will make it so simple for nearly two billion consumers and businesses.”
How it works
PayPal World is built using open commerce APIs and runs on a multi-region, cloud-native system. It is designed to be scalable, low-latency, and secure. It is also device-agnostic, which means it works across different devices and technologies.
The company says the platform will also support newer forms of payments like stablecoins and AI shopping tools. For instance, consumers may eventually be able to ask an AI assistant to place orders and complete payments using their wallet.
Global rollout starts this fall
The launch is expected later this year, starting with connections between PayPal and Venmo. Other wallets like UPI and Tenpay will follow soon after. Over time, more partners are expected to join.