Kathmandu/ Excel Development Bank Limited has officially joined the National Payment Switch – National Card Scheme (NPS-NCS) and NEPALPAY Card network by signing a principal membership agreement with Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL).
The bank has also enabled cross-border QR payment support through the Alipay+ network.
The agreement was signed between Dr. Indra Kumar Kattel, Chief Executive Officer of Excel Development Bank, and Mr. Neelesh Man Singh Pradhan, CEO of NCHL.
With this collaboration, Excel Development Bank will be able to issue and acquire NEPALPAY Cards for its customers following the commercial rollout of the NEPALPAY infrastructure. This development aligns with NCHL’s broader initiative to implement a domestic card ecosystem that ensures interoperability, cost reduction, data localization, and innovation in Nepal’s digital payment space.
The NPS-NCS is being positioned as a central infrastructure for domestic card transaction routing and settlement, reducing dependency on international schemes and enhancing national financial sovereignty.
Furthermore, Excel Development Bank’s integration into the cross-border interoperable QR payment system via Alipay+ means that international tourists from countries like China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Germany, and others can now seamlessly use their home-country e-wallets to make payments by scanning NEPALPAY QR codes at participating merchants across Nepal.
Alipay+ aggregates 30+ digital payment instruments and connects with over 300 acquiring networks, offering access to 90 million global merchants across 66 markets. This includes popular platforms such as Alipay China, Gcash, Touch ’n Go Digital, KakaoPay, TrueMoney, NaverPay, and many others.
NCHL, which currently supports over 54 BFIs, major PSOs and PSPs, and 100+ indirect/technical members, aims to accelerate Nepal’s digital financial transformation through NPS-NCS and NEPALPAY initiatives.
Excel Development Bank, recognized for its modern banking services, currently operates 47 branches and 3 ATM terminals across Nepal.
