NETSTARS Enables UPI Payments Across Qatar via StarPay, Starting with Qatar Duty Free

Sep 22, 2025

NETSTARS Enables UPI Payments Across Qatar via StarPay,

Starting with Qatar Duty Free

NETSTARS Co.,Ltd.(Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO:Tsuyoshi Ri, hereinafter, “NETSTARS”) a leading Japanese payment gateway provider, has successfully integrated its cashless payment gateway “StarPay” with Qatar National Bank (QNB), enabling the use of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) across Qatar. This strategic collaboration allows Indian travelers to make seamless digital payments at QNB-acquired merchants, beginning with Qatar Duty Free as the first live merchant.

To mark this significant milestone, a special ceremony was held at QNB, attended by the Indian Ambassador to Qatar, H.E. Mr. Vipul, alongside senior executives from QNB Group and Qatar Airways Group, highlighting the strong bilateral cooperation and commitment to enhancing payment convenience for Indian travelers.

Qatar Duty Free (QDF), part of Qatar Airways Group, became the first merchant to go live on UPI, enabling Indian travelers, who represent the second largest segment of visitors to the country, to make seamless payments at duty-free stores, making their shopping experience memorable.

This move will also allow them to carry out UPI payments seamlessly at the country’s major tourist attractions, helping them to make real-time transactions by limiting the need to carry cash and currency exchange hassle.

The acceptance of UPI in Qatar promotes interoperability and expands UPI’s global reach. Moreover, it is expected to benefit Qatar’s retail and tourism sectors as UPI acceptance will increase transaction volumes of merchants who will be able to scale their business while offering convenience to customers.

Mr. Yousef Mahmoud Al-Neama, Group Chief Business Officer, QNB, said “We are excited to introduce UPI in Qatar and proud to be at the forefront of innovating the payment landscape. This milestone not only enhances the convenience for Indian travelers but also brings significant benefits to the Qatari market by promoting cashless transactions, boosting retail and tourist sectors, and strengthening interoperability in the payments ecosystem. Importantly, it will also enable local merchants to thrive by attracting more customers and providing them with seamless digital payment options.”

Mr.Ritesh Shukla,CEO,NPCI International,said, “We aim to enhance the acceptance of UPI globally and create a truly interoperable global payment network. The partnership with QNB is a step towards this journey. It will help millions of Indian travelers make seamless, secure digital transactions and reduce their dependence on cash. As UPI makes its mark, we are focused on driving interoperability and making cross-border payment experiences hassle-free for users.”

Tsuyoshi Ri, Representative Director and CEO of NETSTARS Co., Ltd. said, “We are honoured to be part of this strategic partnership and milestone, enabling UPI for the first time in Qatar together with NPCI International, Qatar Airways Group and Qatar National Bank. This aligns with our mission to expand seamless and secure payment experiences globally. We are proud to contribute to this launch in Qatar, which will empower local merchants in Qatar to accept digital payments conveniently and efficiently from millions of international travelers.”

About QNB Group:
QNB Group is one of the leading financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa and is ranked as the most valuable banking brand in the MEA region. Present in over 28 countries across Asia, Europe, and Africa, it offers tailored products and services supported by innovation and backed by a team of over 31,000 professionals dedicated to driving banking excellence, worldwide. 

About Qatar Airways:
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways won the ‘World’s Best Airline’ for an unprecedented ninth time at the 2025 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways was previously named the World’s Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024.

The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, and has yet again received recognition for ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’. As the leading connector in the region, Qatar Airways has also been lauded with the ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’ title for the 13 time.

Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for 11 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the third year in a row, as voted by Skytrax. Hamad International Airport has previously been named the ‘World’s Best Airport’ by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024.

Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles (such as ISO 14001). As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.

About NPCI International:
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) was incorporated on April 3, 2020, as a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). As NPCI’s international arm, NIPL is devoted to deploying NPCI’s indigenous, successful real-time payment system—Unified Payments Interface (UPI)—and card scheme (RuPay) outside of India. NPCI has successfully developed and proved its products and technological capabilities in the domestic market by transforming the payment segment in India. Currently, there are several countries that seek to establish a real-time payment system or a domestic card scheme. NIPL, with its knowledge and experience, can offer these countries technological assistance through licensing and consulting for building real-time payment systems to meet the rapidly evolving needs of fast-growing global businesses. NIPL focuses on transforming payments across the globe through technology and innovation. It will not only enable payments for Indians but also support other countries by enhancing their payment capabilities using technological assistance, consulting, and infrastructure.
For more information visit https://www.nipl.com/

About StarPay
StarPay is a multi-cashless payment solution that allows for the application and management of various cashless payment services, including QR codes, credit cards, electronic money, and points. It supports over 50 services both domestically and internationally, providing services not only in Japan but also in China, Southeast Asia, Korea, and other regions.

About NETSTARS
NETSTARS is one of Japan’s top payment gateway providers with over 500,000 access points. Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TYO: 5590) in September 2023, NETSTARS offers StarPay, a comprehensive payment solution that integrates various domestic and international QR code and cashless payment services. Since its founding in 2009, NETSTARS has been at the forefront of digital payment innovation, including being the first agent to introduce WeChat Pay to Japan in 2015.