Best PayFac Platforms for Cross-Border Payments (2026)

The best PayFac platforms for cross border payments, for a merchant or payment service provider (PSP) collecting from Indian customers, are 1. Xflow, 2. Razorpay, 3. Cashfree, 4. EximPe, 5. Stripe.

Xflow is an embedded payments infrastructure provider that lets you collect from your Indian customers by card (RuPay included), Unified Payments Interface (UPI), UPI AutoPay or netbanking and receive the money in your own overseas bank account in 2 business days (T+2), with no Indian company needed.

If you run a business, PSP or platform outside India, three things decide which platform should handle your Indian collections: the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) licence for cross-border payment aggregators (PA-CB), the payment methods your customers can use and how soon the money reaches you abroad.

Below are five PayFac platforms, also called payment facilitators, set against those three points.

Here are five cross-border payment solutions a company outside India can use to collect from Indian customers and be paid abroad.

1. Xflow: best for businesses, PSPs and platforms outside India that want cards, UPI, recurring billing and merchant onboarding on one platform, with a team that helps them get live.
2. Razorpay: best for foreign merchants already running a Razorpay integration that want to add Indian customers on the same checkout and dashboard.
3. Cashfree: best for Shopify or Magento storefronts that want ready store plugins, so an online store can start collecting from India without custom development.
4. EximPe: best for B2B sellers whose Indian buyers pay invoices by NEFT, RTGS or IMPS bank transfer into INR virtual accounts instead of by card.
5. Stripe: best for merchants already on Stripe that want to add UPI to their existing checkout, for payments up to INR 1,00,000 each.

Four key capabilities separate these five cross-border payment platforms. They are the Indian payment methods a foreign merchant gets, RBI cross-border status ("final" is RBI's fully approved stage, past in-principle), whether an Indian entity is needed, and settlement abroad.

RBI status is as of 6 Oct 2026.

Setup effort and support after go-live matter as much as the payment methods when you collect from India for the first time. Here is how each of the five works for a business or platform outside India, with the strengths you can build on and the limits to plan around before you commit.

1. Xflow

Best for: businesses, PSPs and platforms outside India that want cards, UPI, recurring billing and merchant onboarding on one platform, with a team that helps them get live.

Xflow is an embedded payments infrastructure provider that lets companies outside India sell to Indian customers and get paid in their own currency, without an Indian company.

Customers pay in rupees by card (RuPay included), UPI, UPI AutoPay or netbanking, and the money reaches the company's overseas bank account in 2 business days (T+2). Xflow holds a final PA-CB licence from the Reserve Bank of India.

Key features

• Indian customers can pay by Visa, Mastercard or RuPay card, UPI or netbanking on one checkout, so a business can accept UPI payments and cards together without a separate setup for each.
• Recurring billing runs on UPI AutoPay, card mandates and e-NACH, so a subscription business can charge Indian customers on a schedule after one approval from each customer.
• Money moves through an AD-1 bank into an existing overseas bank account in USD, GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD and more, so the business is paid in its own currency.
• A PSP or platform can bring its own merchants onto Xflow, with webhooks and a test mode that lets its team check the flow before going live.

Pros

• Businesses can collect without an Indian entity, local bank account or company registration, so they can sell to India before any hiring or setup there.
• Xflow's team helps each business through onboarding and go-live, and pricing is custom, set for that business rather than taken from one fixed rate card.

Cons

• Indian wallets and card EMI (equated monthly instalments) are not in Xflow's method list, so a customer who wants to pay from a wallet or split a purchase into instalments needs another way to pay.

Verdict: pick Xflow for one platform that collects from Indian customers, needs no Indian entity and settles into the business's own overseas account; see how to accept international payments from India.

2. Razorpay

Best for: foreign merchants already running a Razorpay integration that want to add Indian customers on the same checkout and dashboard.

Razorpay is an Indian payment gateway whose Import Flow product lets merchants abroad accept payments from customers in India.

Once Razorpay activates it for an account, the same checkout takes rupee payments by UPI, card or netbanking, and payouts go abroad in USD, EUR, GBP, SGD or another listed currency. It suits merchants already on Razorpay.

Key features

• Payers can use UPI, netbanking, cards (Visa, Mastercard, RuPay and Diners), UPI AutoPay, card recurring and e-mandate, so one checkout covers one-off and recurring payments.
• The dashboard shows payments, refunds and settlements in one place, which helps a finance team follow Indian collections without switching between tools.
• Documentation is detailed and ready-made plugins are available, so a developer can add Razorpay to an existing site or app quickly.
• Payouts reach an overseas bank account in USD, EUR, CAD, GBP, JPY, SGD, AUD and other currencies, so a merchant can be paid in the currency its own business runs on.

Pros

• Setup is straightforward and website integration is easy, so a team with a developer can go live without much hand-holding.
• Success rates on UPI payments are high, which matters when each declined Indian payment is a lost sale.
• A merchant already on Razorpay adds Indian customers through the same account and dashboard, so there is no second integration to build and maintain.

Cons

• Support can be slow or hard to reach, with replies taking anywhere from a few hours to several days, so plan for delays when a payment or payout needs a person to step in.
• Funds are sometimes held or accounts closed with little explanation, which is worth raising with Razorpay up front if you depend on steady payouts.

Verdict: pick Razorpay when you already run on Razorpay and want to add Indian customers without a new integration.

3. Cashfree

Best for: Shopify or Magento storefronts that want ready store plugins, so an online store can start collecting from India without custom development.

Cashfree is an Indian payments company, and its Collect from India product lets online sellers abroad take payments from customers in India.

Buyers pay in rupees by UPI, card or netbanking through a payment link, payment page, store plugin or API checkout, and the seller receives USD, EUR, GBP or another supported currency abroad.

Ready plugins for Shopify and Magento make it a quick start for storefronts.

Key features

• Collection covers UPI, credit and debit cards (RuPay included), netbanking and virtual accounts, taken through payment links, payment pages or an API checkout.
• The API is straightforward to integrate and the documentation is organised around common use cases, so a developer can find the right call quickly.
• Recurring billing from Indian payers uses UPI AutoPay, card standing instructions and e-mandates, so a subscription business can charge customers on a schedule.
• A foreign company needs no Indian entity, bank account or GST registration, and onboarding documents are a registration certificate, address proof, signatory ID, overseas bank details and a website.

Pros

• Payment links by email or SMS let a seller take payments without building a checkout, which helps a small team start collecting from Indian customers without a developer.
• The dashboard and reporting give clear, real-time visibility of transactions, which helps a finance team follow Indian collections.

Cons

• Support can be slow to respond, especially when a dispute or payment problem needs a person to step in, so factor that in if you expect chargebacks.
• Some accounts are disabled or put through lengthy verification with little explanation, so ask how account reviews work before you rely on Cashfree for payouts.

Verdict: pick Cashfree for a Shopify or Magento storefront that needs a quick go-live.

4. EximPe

Best for: B2B sellers whose Indian buyers pay invoices by NEFT, RTGS or IMPS bank transfer into INR virtual accounts instead of by card.

EximPe is a cross-border payments platform that lets companies abroad collect rupee payments from buyers in India.

Alongside a checkout page for card, UPI, netbanking or QR, buyers can send an ordinary bank transfer (NEFT, RTGS or IMPS) into a rupee virtual account, and the seller receives the funds in its bank account outside India.

That suits B2B invoices that an Indian company would rather pay from its own bank than by card.

Key features

• Indian payers can pay by card, UPI, netbanking or QR on a hosted checkout, or by NEFT, RTGS or IMPS bank transfer into an INR virtual account.
• Merchants can start without a local entity, bank account or GST registration in India, and funds are paid into an international bank account.
• Visa, Mastercard and RuPay cards and wallets sit alongside UPI and netbanking, and recurring collection for subscription businesses runs on UPI AutoPay.
• PSP, sub-merchant and direct-merchant models are supported, so a payment aggregator outside India can map its own model onto EximPe.

Pros

• EximPe processed over USD 500 million of bank-led cross-border trade payments before its licence, so it brings trade payments experience rather than starting from scratch.
• Payouts arrive in the business's preferred foreign currency, which suits a seller that wants to be paid in its own currency.
• INR virtual bank accounts let a buyer pay from their own bank by NEFT, RTGS or IMPS, which fits B2B invoices better than a card checkout.

Cons

• A bank transfer into a virtual account only arrives when the buyer starts it from their own bank, so the seller cannot collect it automatically on a due date and may have to chase late invoices.

Verdict: pick EximPe for B2B invoices that Indian companies pay from their own bank.

5. Stripe

Best for: merchants already on Stripe that want to add UPI to their existing checkout, for payments up to INR 1,00,000 each.

Stripe is a global payments company, and businesses on Stripe in 35 countries, including the US, the UK, Canada and Singapore, can accept UPI from customers in India.

The customer sees the price in rupees and pays by UPI or sets up UPI AutoPay, and the money reaches the merchant through its normal Stripe payouts in the account's default currency.

It makes most sense for a business already on Stripe, but it covers UPI only, with no netbanking or RuPay.

Key features

• UPI works through Checkout, Payment Links, Subscriptions and Invoicing, with each payment from INR 1 to INR 1,00,000 and recurring UPI AutoPay payments capped at INR 15,000.
• UPI is open to Stripe accounts in 35 business locations, including the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore and much of Europe, so a merchant there can offer it on its existing account.
• Stripe Connect supports UPI, so platforms already built on Stripe can extend the same setup to their Indian payers.
• The dashboard is clean and reporting is reliable, which helps a finance team follow payments in one place.

Pros

• Stripe is easy to integrate and well documented, so an existing Stripe user adds Indian payers with little new work.
• Stripe runs reliably day to day, so a business can count on payments working without the team having to check on them constantly.

Cons

• Fees are on the high side, especially for international transactions and chargebacks, which can squeeze a business with thin margins.
• Only UPI is available for Indian payers, with no netbanking or RuPay and a cap of INR 1,00,000 per payment, so larger invoices and customers who prefer other methods need another route.
• Accounts are sometimes closed or funds held during verification, and support can be slow or hard to reach while it is sorted out.

Verdict: pick Stripe when you already run on it and need UPI for payments under INR 1,00,000.

For a payment facilitator collecting from Indian payers on behalf of a foreign merchant, RBI's PA-CB authorisation is the licence to check, and the outward leg is the one that counts.

PayFac is a card-scheme label and PA-CB is an RBI licence, so a provider can hold one, both or neither.

Inward means foreign exchange coming into India and outward means it leaving India. RBI's definitions and paragraph 11(b) put a foreign merchant collecting from Indian customers on the outward side, although some providers call the same flow inward.

Each licence sits with an Indian entity, so for any of the payfac providers you shortlist, look up that entity's name rather than the foreign parent brand.

How to check a provider's RBI cross-border status before you sign

Before cross-border transactions start, look up the entity behind each of the PayFac companies you shortlist on RBI's list of authorised payment aggregators and read the stage.

A listing there is final, while RBI's application tables use "in-principle authorisation granted" or "application under process". Then read the direction, and ask which AD-1 bank settles into your overseas account.

The date beside each entity is not a PA-CB grant date, so rely on the stage, not the date. For a full verification checklist, see the comparison of gateways for foreign companies.

The payment provider runs the dispute process. Under RBI's Payment Aggregator directions (September 2025), it must have a dispute-resolution process with refund timelines, and a refund goes back to the original payment method unless the payer asks otherwise.

Your payer also keeps any chargeback rights they already have.

Providers differ on the details, so ask each one on your shortlist, us included:

• Refund source: are refunds taken from upcoming settlements, or funded in advance, and what happens if the balance is short?
• Chargeback cost: what does a disputed card payment cost, and who gathers the evidence?
• Reserves: is any part of your settlement held back, and for how long?
• Payer timeline: how many days does a refund take to reach the Indian payer?

A PSP or platform that collects for its own merchants faces a different question from a single merchant: who checks each merchant, and who is responsible if a check is missed?

When one aggregator contracts another that onboards the merchant, the onboarding aggregator is responsible for that merchant's due diligence under RBI rules.

Here is how four of the five providers handle sub-merchants:

• Xflow: our team completes merchant verification (KYB) for each merchant you bring, before that merchant goes live.
• EximPe: supports PSP, sub-merchant and direct-merchant models.
• Cashfree: global payment aggregators can onboard and manage sub-merchants through its API.
• Stripe: Connect supports UPI, for platforms already built on Stripe.

Ask whether each of your merchants gets its own account, who completes the checks and how long they take, and whether the checkout can carry your brand.

Fees on PayFac platforms for collecting from India are rarely published in full, so ask each provider for a written quote on the same sample payment and compare it line by line.

We set custom pricing for each business, and our team helps with onboarding. These are the lines to ask every provider about:

• Per-payment fee by method: is it the same for cards, UPI and netbanking, and is it a percentage, a flat amount or both?
• FX margin and rate timing: what margin sits on the conversion into your currency, and when is the rate fixed?
• Transfer charges: what is taken between the collection account and your overseas account?
• Taxes: is GST charged on the fees, and who handles tax collected at source on Liberalised Remittance Scheme payments?
• Contract terms: are there setup fees, monthly fees or minimum volumes?

If you run a business, PSP or platform outside India, we believe we are the best of these PayFac platforms for collecting from your Indian customers.

Your customers can pay by Visa, Mastercard or RuPay card, UPI, UPI AutoPay, card mandates, e-NACH or netbanking on one checkout, and our standard settlement is 2 business days (T+2) into your overseas account.

Razorpay, Cashfree and EximPe also hold final PA-CB authorisation on RBI's list, so look each entity up there before you sign, us included.

Which businesses use Xflow to collect from India

We work with companies registered outside India that sell to Indian buyers, individuals or businesses, and with the platforms and payment facilitators that collect for their own merchants.

• Companies selling to Indian buyers: SaaS, ed-tech, e-commerce, travel, content and streaming, and gaming businesses registered outside India.
• Platforms and payment aggregators: marketplaces and other platforms that collect on behalf of their own merchants.
• Direct merchants outside India: businesses that integrate on their own and collect for their products or services.

How fast you can start collecting UPI payments with Xflow

Setting up to collect from India takes days rather than the months an Indian subsidiary would take, because there is no Indian company to register. We don't quote a fixed number of days.

Our test mode works like live mode but moves no real funds, so you can check the flow before you go live. Once live, you take UPI on the same checkout as cards and netbanking.

• PSPs and platforms: each of your merchants can go live once our team has finished its verification.
• Direct merchants: you follow the documented steps, ending in test mode before live keys.
• Indian customers: each customer is first added and activated as a payer in your account before the payment and checkout are set up.

The right choice among PayFac platforms depends on how you already sell and who pays you in India. Four questions narrow it:

• Existing stack: if you already run on Razorpay or Stripe, adding India to that account is the shortest route, and Stripe covers UPI only, with no netbanking or RuPay.
• Ticket size: Stripe caps UPI at INR 1,00,000 per payment and RBI caps each PA-CB payment at INR 25 lakh, so check your largest invoice first.
• One-off or recurring: all five offer UPI AutoPay; Xflow, Razorpay and Cashfree add card mandates or e-mandates.
• Direct merchant or PSP: a PSP needs sub-merchant flows, which Xflow, EximPe and Cashfree support.