How to accept international payments with Indian payment gateways

As Indian businesses expand globally, seamless international transactions are essential for sustained growth. With digital payments evolving rapidly, accepting international payments is no longer optional but crucial for scaling operations.

McKinsey's Global Payments Report 2024 states that global payments hit 3.4 trillion transactions worth $1.8 quadrillion in 2023, generating $2.4 trillion in revenue, with 5% annual growth projected until 2028.

The potential is infinite, and leveraging Indian payment gateways for cross-border payments can unlock new business opportunities. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to accept international payments with Indian payment gateways.

Why Indian payment gateways are crucial for international payments

Indian payment gateways enable seamless global transactions with multi-currency support and integration with international payment systems.

• Expanding cross-border market: Projected to reach $194.6 trillion in 2024 and $320 trillion by 2032, creating vast trade opportunities.

• Rising revenue share: In early 2024, cross-border transactions contributed 60% of Corporate & Investment Banking revenue, totalling $3.6 billion.

• Scalability and efficiency: Integrating payment gateways in India ensures effortless expansion, diverse payment options and an improved customer experience.

How to accept international payments with Indian payment gateways

India's digital payments ecosystem is expanding rapidly, enabling businesses to leverage payment gateways for global transactions. According to the Economic Survey 2025, cross-border payment flows are set to grow, making seamless international payment solutions essential.

Importance of integrating international payments

To scale globally, Indian businesses must accept international payments efficiently. Payment gateways in India enable this by offering:

• Diverse payment options: Supports international cards, net banking and local methods.

• Multi-currency support: Enables seamless global transactions.

• Regulatory compliance: Adheres to RBI guidelines for secure payments.

• Fraud prevention: Uses advanced security measures to prevent fraud.

Cross-border payments in India

India receives $80 billion in cross-border remittances, with outbound flows of $19 billion annually. Advanced payment solutions have simplified global transactions:

• NEFT: Secure, real-time international transfers.

• IMPS: Near-instant cross-border credits.

• UPI for Foreign Inward Remittance (FIR): Allows seamless payments from abroad via UPI.

• RBI's Payment Aggregator - Cross Border (PA-CB) regulations: Strengthen compliance and security for cross-border payments.

With evolving digital payment infrastructure and regulatory support, businesses in India can expand globally by integrating reliable payment gateway solutions.

Features of an ideal payment gateway in India for cross-border transactions

When considering payment gateways in India for accepting international payments, businesses must ensure that the gateway provides a host of critical features designed for seamless, secure and efficient transactions.

Multi-currency support

An Indian payment gateway should support:

• Multiple currencies for seamless global transactions.

• Multi-currency wallets for cross-border payments.

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)

A payment gateway in India equipped with DCC:

• Allows international customers to pay in their local currency.

• Enhances convenience and pricing transparency.

Real-time payouts and bulk payment processing

For businesses handling large transactions, a good payment gateway in India should:

• Support bulk payouts for large transactions.

• Allow adding multiple beneficiaries.

• Enable instant processing of payouts.

Cross-border payments to multiple destinations

A payment gateway in India should support multiple payout options, ensuring flexibility for businesses and international customers. These include:

• Bank transfers via NEFT, RTGS and IMPS.

• Card payments via debit or credit cards.

• UPI and wallet transfers for real-time payments.

Scheduled payouts

Payment gateways in India should:

• Allow scheduling payouts from 1 hour to 365 days.

• Ensure better cash flow control for businesses.

• Enhance operational efficiency in global markets.

Security compliance and fraud prevention

Payment gateways in India:

• Must comply with PCI-DSS to prevent fraud and data breaches.

• Essential for safeguarding transactions and customer data as payment fraud losses are projected to reach $400 billion.

Customisable checkout experience

An Indian payment gateway offering customisable checkout experience:

• Enhances conversions and customer satisfaction.

• Reduces cart abandonment with a well-optimised process.

• Ensures a smooth and hassle-free payment journey.

Support for popular payment methods

A payment gateway in India should enable international businesses and customers to pay using preferred methods, including:

• Credit and debit cards for secure transactions.

• Mobile wallets for quick and easy payments.

• Bank transfers for direct account-to-account transactions.

High success rates and error prevention

Reliable payment gateways in India can ensure high success rates and prevent errors through features such as:

• Automatic retries for failed transactions.

• Idempotency checks to prevent duplicate payouts.

• Cross-border compliance to meet regulatory requirements.

Automated payouts for businesses

Payment gateways in India should enable businesses to:

• Automate loan disbursal, vendor payments, salaries and refunds. 

• Process bulk payouts instantly.

• Schedule payouts for later, even on holidays.

Vendor payout management

Businesses should be able to seamlessly manage vendor payments with:

• Direct payouts to bank accounts, UPI IDs or wallets.

• Payee confirmation via SMS for transparency.

• Hassle-free bulk vendor payment processing.

In-depth analytics and insights

Real-time analytics provide valuable transaction data, enabling businesses to:

• Monitor transactions with live dashboards.

• Identify trends and optimise cash flow.

• Make data-driven business decisions.

Multiple payment modes

A payment gateway in India should support various payout methods to cater to global transactions. These include:

• Bank transfers (NEFT, RTGS, IMPS).

• Debit and credit card payouts.

• UPI and mobile wallet payments.

• Cross-border transfers to international bank accounts or wallets.

No bank holidays

Round-the-clock payouts, including on bank holidays, ensure:

• Seamless global transactions across time zones.

• Uninterrupted operations for urgent payments.

Real-time updates

A reliable payment gateway in India should provide:

• Instant payout notifications.

• Live updates via webhooks and dashboards.

Unlock seamless international payments with Indian payment gateways

Indian payment gateways simplify international transactions with real-time payouts, multi-currency support, Dynamic Currency Conversion and automated bulk payments, enabling businesses to streamline operations and focus on global expansion.

By integrating global standards and complying with regulatory frameworks, Indian payment gateways like Plural can be the ideal solution for managing cross-border payments seamlessly and enhancing the international customer experience.

Sources:

• McKinsey & Company. (2024). Global Payments Report 2024. McKinsey

• McKinsey & Company. (2024). The top digital payment trends of 2024. McKinsey

• PaySpace Magazine. (2025). Global Cross-Border Payment Statistics 2024. PaySpace

• FXC Intelligence. (2024). The state of cross-border payments in banking 2024. FXC Intelligence

• Ministry of Finance. (2024).Economic Survey of India. Economic Survey 2025