The Eiffel Tower, one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, is now more accessible to Indian tourists. They can purchase tickets for the tower using Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a popular digital payment system in India. This is a result of a partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lyra, a French payment service provider.
How UPI Will Impact Tourism in France?
UPI is a mobile-based payment system that allows users to transfer money instantly using a virtual payment address (VPA) or a QR code. UPI has become widely used in India, with over 2.8 billion transactions in January 2024. By enabling UPI payments for the Eiffel Tower, NIPL and Lyra aim to provide the following benefits for Indian tourists:
- Convenience: Indian tourists do not need to carry cash or cards, or worry about currency conversion rates. They can simply use their existing UPI apps on their smartphones to pay for the tickets.
- Faster and secure payment process: UPI transactions are completed within seconds, and are encrypted and authenticated by multiple layers of security. This reduces the risk of fraud and delays.
- Increase in cross-border transactions: UPI payments for the Eiffel Tower will encourage more Indian tourists to visit France and boost the tourism industry. According to the French Embassy in India, France welcomed 7.5 lakh Indian visitors in 2023 and expects to reach 10 lakh by 2024.
Steps to Book Eiffel Tower Tickets Through UPI
Booking tickets for the Eiffel Tower through UPI is easy and convenient. Here are the steps to follow:
- Visit the official website of the Eiffel Tower (www.toureiffel.paris) and select the date and time of your visit.
- Choose the type of ticket you want, such as stairs, lift, or summit access, and the number of tickets you need.
- On the payment page, select UPI as the payment option, and scan the QR code displayed on the screen using your UPI app.
- Enter the amount in Indian rupees, and confirm the payment by entering your UPI PIN.
- You will receive a confirmation message and an e-ticket in your email. You can also download the e-ticket from the website.
Partnership Between NPCI International Payments Limited and Lyra
NIPL is a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which is the overarching agency for retail payments in India. NIPL was founded in 2020 to enhance the worldwide reach of NPCI’s payment services, including UPI, RuPay, and Bharat BillPay.
Lyra is a leading payment service provider in France, with over 20 years of experience in the field. Lyra offers secure and innovative payment solutions for e-commerce, m-commerce, and point-of-sale transactions.
The partnership between NIPL and Lyra was announced in February 2024, with the aim of ensuring the acceptance of UPI in France. The Eiffel Tower is the first tourist attraction in France to accept UPI payments, and more are expected to follow soon. The partnership will also enable UPI payments for other sectors, such as hospitality, retail, and transport, in France.
“At NIPL, our ambition is to enable acceptance of NPCI’s payment solutions in international markets and create a truly interoperable global payment system. We aim at actively collaborating with financial institutions worldwide to establish partnerships and provide consumers with convenient and secure cross-border payment solutions. Through this strategic partnership with Lyra, we have taken another step forward towards this goal,” said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL.
“It is a great pride to have the trust of the Indian government and NIPL to launch UPI in Europe. We have been present in India for 17 years, and this partnership confirms the strength of our collaboration with this vast country. We also demonstrate our ability to stay ahead of market trends and strengthen our ambition to offer all payment methods used worldwide. For the players in the French and European tourism ecosystem, this partnership represents a major advancement and the promise of new business opportunities to come,” said Christophe Mariette, Commercial Director of Lyra France.
