payment methods india
Dec 8, 2022, 1:26 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Posts: 1,842
payment methods india
will be visiting delhi,chennai,jaipur in a few weeks-and was wondering what is the best way to pay?
is it necessary to carry a lot of cash or is credit card widely accepted at even small places?
there is the ATm option-but it seems that the fees are quite high-any advice much appreciated!
is it necessary to carry a lot of cash or is credit card widely accepted at even small places?
there is the ATm option-but it seems that the fees are quite high-any advice much appreciated!
Dec 8, 2022, 1:51 am
#2
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
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The demonetization in 2017 pushed many to accept cards and digital payment options. Google pay is quite common, the Indian payment apps are sadly not accesible to visitors. You will require some cash, if you pull 10 000 INR once from an ATM it will cover you for quite some time.
Dec 8, 2022, 10:38 am
#3
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
The demonetization in 2017 pushed many to accept cards and digital payment options. Google pay is quite common, the Indian payment apps are sadly not accesible to visitors. You will require some cash, if you pull 10 000 INR once from an ATM it will cover you for quite some time.
I tried it once and neither the salesperson nor I could find how to ask the app to read the merchant's QR code, so I gave up and paid cash.
Dec 8, 2022, 11:43 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2011
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Does a US-account Google Pay, charging a US credit card, work in India, given India's mandatory security rules? I saw a report that it does not, but iI don't know if it is correct.
I tried it once and neither the salesperson nor I could find how to ask the app to read the merchant's QR code, so I gave up and paid cash.
I tried it once and neither the salesperson nor I could find how to ask the app to read the merchant's QR code, so I gave up and paid cash.
As far as I know you need to set it up with the indian version of Google pay with an Indian card
What worked very well for me was contactless transactions with my UK cards . Most of the larger shops / supermarkets had contactless payment terminals ( This is called a WIFI card / WIFI payment in India) .
I know that there is a lot of fear about contactless cards but my personal view is that a card like revolut that can be topped up ( prepaid ) is safer than using normal cards . Also don't have to key in my pin on some strange terminal that I don't know .
Dec 8, 2022, 11:37 pm
#5
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At the end of the day, cash is still king in India.
Having said that, almost every vendor across the country will give you the option to pay using your credit card.
Google Pay, Paytm, WhatsApp Pay are all very popular however they require an Indian credit card.
Having said that, almost every vendor across the country will give you the option to pay using your credit card.
Google Pay, Paytm, WhatsApp Pay are all very popular however they require an Indian credit card.
Dec 10, 2022, 4:09 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 271
Almost all retail stores, even tiny ones, will accept credit cards. Many have upgraded their terminals to accept NFC (contactless), so you can use Apple Pay or Google Pay as well. However, you will run into some situations where merchants are unwilling or unable to accept foreign credit cards (because the fees they pay are higher or whatever), so this can be a problem sometimes and it's good to have some cash in hand most of the time. You may also find that you have to try more than one credit card until one works, as it seems acceptance and fraud monitoring vary widely by payment processors. Also auto-rickshaws and taxis will often ask for cash. Even if you use Uber / Ola they'll sometimes ask for payment in cash. Sometimes you can add tips (for restaurants, etc.) to your bill and pay by credit card, but tipping in most situations will only work with cash.
Summary: Credit cards will mostly work, but take along more than one, and always have backup cash - you can't do without cash.
Yes, ATM withdrawals will incur high fees, however, there's no alternative, really - you just have to plan ahead, estimate how much cash you might need for your whole trip, and manage your withdrawals to reduce the total amount of fees you end up paying. If you're left with some rupees at the end of your trip, you can keep some as a souvenir or for your next trip (but beware there is a limit on how much cash in rupees can be taken out of India), or give them to a friend, or blow them all in food and duty-free stuff at the airport.
Google Pay in India is a different app than Google Pay elsewhere. Google Pay for Indian users requires an Indian mobile number (and can only be used in India) and offers payment via the local UPI payment network using a local bank account. If you have Google Pay from outside India, you can use it to enable contactless payments with your credit cards, but you cannot use it for UPI payments. The QR codes for UPI payments are different from and incompatible with the QR codes used in (US-based) Google Pay for person-to-person payments. In India, if you pull out your phone to pay by NFC (contactless), the vendor may ask if you want to use "Google Pay" - and if you say yes, they'll pull up a UPI QR code which won't work for you. Always tell them you're using a credit card, to avoid this confusion over "Google Pay". Apple Pay apparently remains banned for Indian users, although you can use your Apple Pay if you're from outside India for contactless payments.
Summary: Credit cards will mostly work, but take along more than one, and always have backup cash - you can't do without cash.
Yes, ATM withdrawals will incur high fees, however, there's no alternative, really - you just have to plan ahead, estimate how much cash you might need for your whole trip, and manage your withdrawals to reduce the total amount of fees you end up paying. If you're left with some rupees at the end of your trip, you can keep some as a souvenir or for your next trip (but beware there is a limit on how much cash in rupees can be taken out of India), or give them to a friend, or blow them all in food and duty-free stuff at the airport.
Google Pay in India is a different app than Google Pay elsewhere. Google Pay for Indian users requires an Indian mobile number (and can only be used in India) and offers payment via the local UPI payment network using a local bank account. If you have Google Pay from outside India, you can use it to enable contactless payments with your credit cards, but you cannot use it for UPI payments. The QR codes for UPI payments are different from and incompatible with the QR codes used in (US-based) Google Pay for person-to-person payments. In India, if you pull out your phone to pay by NFC (contactless), the vendor may ask if you want to use "Google Pay" - and if you say yes, they'll pull up a UPI QR code which won't work for you. Always tell them you're using a credit card, to avoid this confusion over "Google Pay". Apple Pay apparently remains banned for Indian users, although you can use your Apple Pay if you're from outside India for contactless payments.
Dec 10, 2022, 4:12 pm
#7
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 271
Does a US-account Google Pay, charging a US credit card, work in India, given India's mandatory security rules? I saw a report that it does not, but iI don't know if it is correct.
I tried it once and neither the salesperson nor I could find how to ask the app to read the merchant's QR code, so I gave up and paid cash.
I tried it once and neither the salesperson nor I could find how to ask the app to read the merchant's QR code, so I gave up and paid cash.
Dec 11, 2022, 11:10 am
#8
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Skywards Blue :-(, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, GHA Platinum
Posts: 2,531
Almost all retail stores, even tiny ones, will accept credit cards. Many have upgraded their terminals to accept NFC (contactless), so you can use Apple Pay or Google Pay as well. However, you will run into some situations where merchants are unwilling or unable to accept foreign credit cards (because the fees they pay are higher or whatever), so this can be a problem sometimes and it's good to have some cash in hand most of the time. You may also find that you have to try more than one credit card until one works, as it seems acceptance and fraud monitoring vary widely by payment processors. Also auto-rickshaws and taxis will often ask for cash. Even if you use Uber / Ola they'll sometimes ask for payment in cash. Sometimes you can add tips (for restaurants, etc.) to your bill and pay by credit card, but tipping in most situations will only work with cash.
Summary: Credit cards will mostly work, but take along more than one, and always have backup cash - you can't do without cash.
Yes, ATM withdrawals will incur high fees, however, there's no alternative, really - you just have to plan ahead, estimate how much cash you might need for your whole trip, and manage your withdrawals to reduce the total amount of fees you end up paying. If you're left with some rupees at the end of your trip, you can keep some as a souvenir or for your next trip (but beware there is a limit on how much cash in rupees can be taken out of India), or give them to a friend, or blow them all in food and duty-free stuff at the airport.
Google Pay in India is a different app than Google Pay elsewhere. Google Pay for Indian users requires an Indian mobile number (and can only be used in India) and offers payment via the local UPI payment network using a local bank account. If you have Google Pay from outside India, you can use it to enable contactless payments with your credit cards, but you cannot use it for UPI payments. The QR codes for UPI payments are different from and incompatible with the QR codes used in (US-based) Google Pay for person-to-person payments. In India, if you pull out your phone to pay by NFC (contactless), the vendor may ask if you want to use "Google Pay" - and if you say yes, they'll pull up a UPI QR code which won't work for you. Always tell them you're using a credit card, to avoid this confusion over "Google Pay". Apple Pay apparently remains banned for Indian users, although you can use your Apple Pay if you're from outside India for contactless payments.
Summary: Credit cards will mostly work, but take along more than one, and always have backup cash - you can't do without cash.
Yes, ATM withdrawals will incur high fees, however, there's no alternative, really - you just have to plan ahead, estimate how much cash you might need for your whole trip, and manage your withdrawals to reduce the total amount of fees you end up paying. If you're left with some rupees at the end of your trip, you can keep some as a souvenir or for your next trip (but beware there is a limit on how much cash in rupees can be taken out of India), or give them to a friend, or blow them all in food and duty-free stuff at the airport.
Google Pay in India is a different app than Google Pay elsewhere. Google Pay for Indian users requires an Indian mobile number (and can only be used in India) and offers payment via the local UPI payment network using a local bank account. If you have Google Pay from outside India, you can use it to enable contactless payments with your credit cards, but you cannot use it for UPI payments. The QR codes for UPI payments are different from and incompatible with the QR codes used in (US-based) Google Pay for person-to-person payments. In India, if you pull out your phone to pay by NFC (contactless), the vendor may ask if you want to use "Google Pay" - and if you say yes, they'll pull up a UPI QR code which won't work for you. Always tell them you're using a credit card, to avoid this confusion over "Google Pay". Apple Pay apparently remains banned for Indian users, although you can use your Apple Pay if you're from outside India for contactless payments.
Were you able to do a contactless payment with a non indian Google pay account and a foreign card
I attempted to do this last month with UK Google pay and UK card and it didn't work..
Dec 11, 2022, 2:34 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 271
And I think it's a matter of pure luck that this time in India I did not run into the random instances of my credit card company deciding to decline charges in India "for my protection", which has happened randomly in the past.
Dec 11, 2022, 3:38 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
So if I understand correctly, GPay is identical to using the actual card for non-contact payments. If a card won't work, GPay won't work either. If so, there's no compelling reason not to use the physical cards.
You can also exchange the leftover Rs at a currency exchange window. You'll lose some money in fees and/or bad exchange rate, of course. In the old days they would need to see your ATM receipts to make sure you weren't taking out more than you brought in, but these days the allowed maximum is high enough that it is not a problem in most cases.
If you're left with some rupees at the end of your trip, you can keep some as a souvenir or for your next trip (but beware there is a limit on how much cash in rupees can be taken out of India), or give them to a friend, or blow them all in food and duty-free stuff at the airport.
Dec 11, 2022, 4:17 pm
#11
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 271
There are two reasons one might want to use Google Pay / Apple Pay contactless payments: (1) The app does not share your actual credit card number with the merchant, instead a virtual card number is exchanged with the POS terminal. So it's a bit safer for you in that your credit card number cannot be stolen and misused somewhere else; and (2) of course you don't have to carry the cards with you and risk losing them somewhere and being used fraudulently. Or to flip it around, if you do lose your wallet but still have your phone, it's not the end of the world, and you can still use your cards loaded in the app for payment.
Dec 11, 2022, 7:35 pm
#12
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,632
Dec 12, 2022, 12:54 am
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: United Kingdom
Programs: Skywards Blue :-(, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold, GHA Platinum
Posts: 2,531
There are two reasons one might want to use Google Pay / Apple Pay contactless payments: (1) The app does not share your actual credit card number with the merchant, instead a virtual card number is exchanged with the POS terminal. So it's a bit safer for you in that your credit card number cannot be stolen and misused somewhere else; and (2) of course you don't have to carry the cards with you and risk losing them somewhere and being used fraudulently. Or to flip it around, if you do lose your wallet but still have your phone, it's not the end of the world, and you can still use your cards loaded in the app for payment.
Since the actual card information is not shared ( and no PIN) I feel this is more secure
However I still use a revolut or some other card I can top up and never use my debit card linked to my main bank account .
Dec 12, 2022, 2:48 am
#14
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
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Gpay with foreign CCs in India works spotty at best. The moment your phone notices that you are in India the Gpay app changes from the EU/US version to the Indian version. The first time I noticed this was during my trip in September 22: the icon and text of my app went from a logo of a few cards and a title 'wallet' changed to 'Gpay'. I managed to pay once using my German card when my physical HDFC Rupay card was not working. Since I don't use my foreign cards in India and try to use the Rupay card where ever possible it was not a major hassle.
Regarding cash and how to dispose it: note that foreigners are technically not allowed to take INR currency notes/bills out of the country. Of course thats not really feasible and no one cares. I try to use it up as much as possible, the easiest is to pay the hotel with whatever cash you have left (hotels can always settle the payment with a mix of credit card & cash) and just keep a small amount for the taxi to the airport.
Regarding cash and how to dispose it: note that foreigners are technically not allowed to take INR currency notes/bills out of the country. Of course thats not really feasible and no one cares. I try to use it up as much as possible, the easiest is to pay the hotel with whatever cash you have left (hotels can always settle the payment with a mix of credit card & cash) and just keep a small amount for the taxi to the airport.
Dec 12, 2022, 5:18 pm
#15
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Delta
Posts: 271
FWIW, I did not notice any changes to my Google Pay app (US-based). The interface looked exactly as it always does and it behaved as expected with my US-based credit cards. One caveat - my app just recently (in the last couple of weeks) switched to the new interface that combines the old Google Pay and Google Wallet apps in a new presentation - Google has been rolling this out to everyone recently. It's possible also that your Google Pay app behaved differently if it hasn't yet been "upgraded" in this way?