PhonePe is expanding its card and cross-border payment capabilities in partnership with Visa by launching operations in the UAE soon.

The fintech company has received a licence from the Central Bank of the UAE to make a mark in its first overseas market.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Global Fintech Festival 2026 in Mumbai, Sameer Nigam, Founder and CEO, PhonePe, said that the company was preparing to operationalise the licence.

The UAE business will allow PhonePe to offer services including its own wallet, gift cards and remittances, besides enabling local merchant payments, Nigam said.

Eligible Visa cardholders can also make contactless payments using their Android phones; payments can be made through supported Visa QR codes in select overseas markets with special features soon to be launched that would also enable small merchants to accept contactless card payments without a separate point-of-sale terminal.

Nigam said the UAE would be PhonePe’s first foreign market. The company intends to build a global business over the next decade, he added.

PhonePe’s cross-border QR payment feature will initially cover 14 international markets such as including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Japan, China and South Korea. – editor@nrifocus.com