Company Overview
About CheqUPI
CheqUPI is a Bengaluru-based fintech company operating India's first UPI (Unified Payments Interface)-enabled digital wallet specifically designed for foreign nationals, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), and Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) visiting or residing in India — enabling international visitors to pay at 55 million+ registered UPI merchants in India without needing an Indian bank account or phone number. Founded in 2021 and a Y Combinator S23 graduate, CheqUPI raised $10.8 million across three funding rounds, serving an estimated 50,000 travelers annually in a market valued at $652 million.
Business Model & Competitive Advantage
CheqUPI's solution addresses a significant gap in India's digital payments ecosystem: UPI is ubiquitous across India (replacing cash and cards at most merchants) but requires an Indian bank account linked to an Indian phone number — making it inaccessible to the millions of international visitors and Indian diaspora who travel to India annually. CheqUPI provides a wallet that foreign nationals load with money (via international card or transfer), links to UPI, and works at any QR code payment point across the country. This eliminates the cash exchange and card-not-present limitations that international visitors previously faced.
Competitive Landscape 2025–2026
In 2025, CheqUPI operates in the cross-border payments and travel fintech market for India visitors. The platform competes with international cards (high forex fees), Western Union, and other payment options for foreign visitors in India for UPI access. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been gradually expanding UPI access for international visitors — a positive regulatory tailwind for CheqUPI's market. India received 9+ million international tourist arrivals in 2024, plus millions of NRI/OCI visits from the Indian diaspora abroad, creating substantial demand for seamless digital payment access. The 2025 strategy focuses on growing adoption among travel booking platforms (airlines, OTAs), expanding the wallet loading options for more international currencies, and building B2B corporate travel partnerships for companies sending employees to India.
Recent Activity
View all →India is one of the fastest-moving payment economies in the world, and most foreign tourists only find this out after their card gets declined at a chai stall, a market, and a museum ticket counter on the same afternoon. Cash runs out, cards fail silently, and the vendor just points at a QR code on […] The post Cash, card, or QR code: the tourist’s guide to paying in India in 2026 appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Rishikesh is not the quiet hillside retreat most foreign tourists picture. It has packed ashram schedules, rafting seasons on the Ganga, rooftop cafes buzzing with travellers from across the world, and a street food scene that runs entirely on QR codes.  The spiritual and the adventurous sit side by side here in a way that […] The post Rishikesh travel guide 2026: yoga, rafting, and what foreign tourists need to know appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Most foreign travellers lose money in India before they spend a single rupee on something they actually want. It happens at the airport counter, at the ATM, and at every merchant where an international card gets declined with no explanation. The forex card you loaded before flying felt like a smart move. India has quietly […] The post Forex card vs UPI wallet for India travel: what actually works in 2026 appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Introduction Varanasi is the kind of place people tell you about for years before you actually go. The ghats at dawn, the boat ride on the Ganges, and the Ganga Aarti in the evening. What they usually forget to mention is the practical side: where to be and at what time, how much things actually […] The post Varanasi at Dawn: Ghats, Boat Rides and Travel Guide appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Most foreign tourists land in India expecting to tap a card and get moving. Within a few hours they find out that most vendors point to a QR code, the ATM charges $5 before the bank adds its own markup, and the airport money changer takes 6% before you have spent a rupee on anything […] The post How to Set Up UPI as a Foreign Tourist in India appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Introduction Most travellers arrive in India expecting their Visa or Mastercard to work the way it does everywhere else. You tap, swipe, or scan, and the payment goes through. India works differently. Walk into almost any restaurant, market, auto-rickshaw, or street food stall and you will find a QR code instead of a card machine. […] The post Why Your International Card Fails at Indian QR Codes appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Say you are standing at a street stall somewhere in India, the kind of place selling the best chai you have tasted for Rs 20. You hold up your Visa card, and the vendor shakes his head, points to a QR code taped to the counter. You open your banking app, hold your phone up, […] The post Can Foreign Tourists Use UPI in India? appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Most people who visit Goa spend five days within walking distance of the ocean and leave thinking they have seen the place. They have not. The Goa that actually stays with you is inland. It is a 16th-century church complex so well preserved that UNESCO stepped in to protect it. It is a waterfall dropping […] The post Goa Beyond the Beaches: What Foreign Tourists Are Missing appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Walk into a restaurant in India, and the waiter points to a QR code on the table. You open your banking app, hold your phone up, and nothing happens. You try Google Pay and it asks for an Indian bank account. You tap your Visa card, and the merchant shakes his head. This is not […] The post Why Visa and Mastercard Fail at Indian QR Codes appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
At 5 a.m., the Golden Temple is already one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen. The gold catches the first light over the Amrit Sarovar, the kirtan floats across the water from the sanctum, and priests are at the river with oil lamps before the city around them has woken up. Most […] The post Golden Temple Amritsar Guide appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Say you are standing at a street stall somewhere in India, the kind of place selling the best chai you have tasted for Rs 20. You hold up your Visa card, and the vendor shakes his head, points to a QR code taped to the counter. You open your banking app, hold your phone up, […] The post Can Foreign Tourists Use UPI in India? appeared first on Cheq UPI for Foreign tourists .
Material Event filed 2026-05-19
Key Differentiators
Emerging Innovator
CheqUPI is an emerging player bringing innovative solutions to the Finance market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Estimated Visibility Trend (Beta)
Simulated 8-week rolling score
Based on estimated brand signals. Historical tracking coming soon.
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