PhonePe Tap to Pay has been launched as part of a new set of digital payment services developed by PhonePe and Visa. The announcement was made at the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in Mumbai on September 9, 2026. The two companies introduced three major payment services: Tap to Pay, Cross Border Scan to Pay, and Smart Accept. With these services, PhonePe has become the first Indian application to support Visa’s three core capabilities for consumers.

PhonePe and Visa Introduce Three New Services

The new partnership is aimed at making digital payments easier for consumers, travellers and small businesses. The three services cover different payment needs, from contactless card payments to international QR payments and smartphone-based merchant acceptance.

PhonePe Tap to Pay is designed for users who want to make contactless payments using Visa cards through their Android smartphones. Cross Border Scan to Pay will help Indian travellers make payments at supported QR codes in selected international markets. Smart Accept, meanwhile, is designed for small merchants who want to accept card payments without buying a traditional point-of-sale machine.

How PhonePe Tap to Pay Works

PhonePe Tap to Pay uses Visa Device Tokenisation, a technology that improves the security of digital card payments. Instead of storing or using the actual card details during a transaction, the system replaces sensitive card information with a unique digital token.

PhonePe has started a phased rollout of Tap to Pay for Android users. Eligible users can tokenise their Visa cards inside the PhonePe application and then use their smartphones to make contactless payments at compatible point-of-sale terminals.

To make a payment, users can bring their smartphone close to a contactless payment terminal. The phone communicates with the terminal using contactless technology, allowing the payment to be completed without physically inserting or swiping a card.

Payments in Low-Connectivity Areas

One important feature of PhonePe Tap to Pay is its ability to support transactions in areas where mobile connectivity may be limited. The tokenised card credentials are stored securely on the device, allowing the payment process to work without depending completely on a live internet connection at the time of payment.

This can be useful for consumers travelling through areas where network coverage is weak or unstable. It also shows how digital payment systems are moving beyond traditional online transactions and becoming more flexible for everyday use.

The Tap to Pay service is connected to Visa Device Tokenisation on PhonePe, which was introduced on the platform in February 2025. The latest service builds on that earlier technology to provide contactless card payments through smartphones.

Cross Border Scan to Pay for Indian Travellers

Another service announced by PhonePe and Visa is Cross Border Scan to Pay. The feature is planned for Indian travellers who want to use Visa-supported QR codes while making payments outside India.

The service is expected to support 14 international markets. Countries and markets mentioned include Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

For travellers, QR-based payments can reduce the need to carry large amounts of cash while visiting another country. A user can scan a supported QR code through the payment application and complete the transaction digitally.

The expansion of cross-border QR payments also reflects the growing use of mobile-based payment systems in international travel and commerce.

Smart Accept Helps Small Merchants

The third service is called Smart Accept. It is aimed mainly at micro-merchants and small business owners who may not want to invest in a separate card payment machine.

Smart Accept allows a merchant to use a smartphone to accept card payments. This means that a traditional physical point-of-sale terminal may not be required for supported transactions.

The service could be useful for small shops, independent sellers and other businesses that want to accept digital card payments with lower equipment costs. Turning a smartphone into a payment acceptance device can make card payments more accessible to smaller businesses.

PhonePe’s Growing Digital Payment Network

PhonePe continues to have a major presence in India’s digital payments market. The company said that it had more than 71.5 crore registered users and over 5 crore merchants as of July 2026.

Its network includes consumers, retailers and businesses using different digital payment methods. These include QR-based payments, mobile applications and other digital financial services.

The latest services with Visa add another layer to this network by connecting smartphones with card-based contactless payments and international QR payments.

Growing Use of Tokenisation in Digital Payments

Tokenisation has become an important part of modern digital payment security. In a normal card transaction, sensitive card information needs to be protected carefully. With tokenisation, the actual card number is replaced by a digital token that can be used for a particular device or payment environment.

This reduces the need to expose the original card details during digital transactions. Visa Device Tokenisation is therefore an important technology behind the new PhonePe Tap to Pay service.

As more people use smartphones for shopping, travel and everyday payments, secure token-based systems are becoming increasingly important.

India’s Changing Digital Payment Landscape

India’s payment system has expanded rapidly through technologies such as UPI, QR codes, mobile applications, cards and contactless payments. Consumers now have several ways to pay for goods and services without using cash.

The latest PhonePe and Visa partnership adds contactless Visa card payments and cross-border QR payments to this growing ecosystem. It also gives small businesses another option for accepting card payments.

The launch at Global Fintech Fest 2026 highlights the continuing development of India’s fintech sector, where smartphones are increasingly being used not only for sending money but also for making contactless payments and helping merchants accept digital transactions.

What the New Services Mean for Users

The three services announced by PhonePe and Visa target different parts of the digital payment experience. PhonePe Tap to Pay focuses on convenient contactless payments, Cross Border Scan to Pay focuses on international travellers, and Smart Accept focuses on merchants.

Together, the services show how payment technology is moving toward greater use of smartphones, digital tokens and QR codes. They also reflect the growing connection between India’s digital payment platforms and global payment networks such as Visa.