Nepal Rastra Bank
10th October 2025, Kathmandu
The Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has announced a landmark decision that will reshape the landscape of digital finance in Nepal.
Nepal Rastra Bank
Effective immediately, under the new unified electronic payment guidelines, no fees will be levied on domestic digital payments to merchants and online commerce platforms.
This means transactions conducted using debit/credit/prepaid cards, digital wallets, or mobile banking apps with QR codes are now completely free for users.
This pivotal policy change acts as a major catalyst for the country’s aspirations toward a more comprehensive cashless economy. The waiver directly addresses a long-standing barrier to mass digital adoption: transaction costs.
The Scope of Fee Waiver
The waiver encompasses all forms of consumer-to-business (C2B) payments made domestically.
Whether a customer uses a card at a point-of-sale terminal, scans a QR code using a mobile banking application, or pays through a digital wallet for an online purchase, the transaction will incur zero fees.
This uniformity simplifies the digital payment ecosystem and provides a clear incentive for both consumers and small to large businesses to embrace digital methods over cash.
This move by the central bank promotes a truly accessible and low-cost mechanism for financial inclusion.
Small vendors, who often operate on thin margins, will particularly benefit, as the cost of accepting digital transactions drops to nil.
Ultimately, the burden of transaction fees is lifted entirely from the shoulders of the consumer, making domestic digital payments the most attractive and economical option.
Enhanced Security and Efficiency
Beyond the fee waiver, the new guidelines are designed to enhance the security and efficiency of the entire digital payment infrastructure.
The NRB has established clear transaction limits for various digital channels, including mobile banking, wallets, internet banking, and QR-based payments.
These limits are crucial for managing risk and ensuring system stability across the network. The guidelines also lay down comprehensive rules for different payment categories: retail, business, and high-value payment systems.
By compartmentalizing and regulating these systems, the central bank ensures that each type of transaction is processed securely and efficiently, maintaining the integrity of the national payment switch.
Clear operational standards are being mandated for all participating financial institutions and Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to guarantee robust and reliable service delivery.
Driving Digital Adoption and Financial Inclusion
This bold step by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) is a direct investment in the nation’s digital future. Removing the fee barrier is expected to exponentially increase the volume and frequency of digital transactions.
As the cost of digital payments becomes negligible, users who previously hesitated due to small transaction fees will now readily adopt digital methods.
The widespread use of QR codes is a focal point of this initiative. QR codes offer a low-cost, interoperable, and scalable solution for merchant acceptance, crucial for reaching micro-businesses and vendors in rural areas.
By making QR code payments free, the NRB is fast-tracking the deployment of digital acceptance points across the country, furthering financial inclusion for underserved populations.
The move is a significant push toward realizing the vision of a robust cashless economy, aligning Nepal with global trends in digital finance.
All stakeholders are urged to rapidly implement these changes and capitalize on this major policy shift. The future of payments in Nepal is distinctly digital and distinctly free.
For more: Nepal Rastra Bank