PayU for Indian service exporters: how it works, costs and limits

PayU is one of India's larger payment gateways. Besides domestic payments, it runs an international payments product that lets an Indian business accept cards issued abroad and PayPal on its checkout, then settles the money in rupees.³ PayU also sells a cross-border product for foreign merchants selling to Indian buyers; this page covers only the export side, as it applies to an Indian agency, consultancy, tutor, designer or SaaS company billing customers abroad.

Facts below come from PayU's own India pricing, product and documentation pages and from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), checked in October 2026.¹³ PayU changes its pricing, so confirm terms with PayU before relying on them.

Is PayU good for Indian exporters and freelancers?

PayU suits Indian businesses whose foreign customers pay by card or PayPal and that want INR settlement, with RBI PA-CB I & O authorisation and a published 3% fee; it does not describe bank transfer collection.¹³⁴

The verdicts use only PayU's and the RBI's published pages.

What is PayU and who is it for?

PayU's international payments product is a card and wallet checkout that lets an Indian merchant accept payments from customers abroad and receive rupees.³ Its documentation lists dynamic currency conversion, multi-currency conversion (showing prices in several currencies), EEFC (Exchange Earners' Foreign Currency) account support and pre-authorisation as features, and says settlement can be in INR or non-INR currencies.⁵

• Regulated by: the RBI, which lists PayU Payments Private Limited as an online and physical payment aggregator and as PA-CB I & O, a Payment Aggregator, Cross Border facilitating inward and outward transactions.¹
• Rules that apply: PA-CBs are regulated under the RBI Master Direction on Regulation of Payment Aggregators dated 15 September 2025, which sets a limit of ₹25 lakh per export transaction.²
• Used by: individuals, sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLPs, private and public limited companies and other forms, per PayU's activation checklist.⁷
• Best for: Card or PayPal checkout with INR settlement.³

PayU does not publish which entity types qualify for international payments.⁵

How do you open a PayU account in India?

You open a PayU account with the documents in its activation checklist, then ask your PayU Key Account Manager to enable international payments, which are not on by default.⁵⁷

1. Open a PayU account: with the documents for your entity type.⁷
2. Enable international payments: through your Key Account Manager.⁵
3. Set up a checkout: hosted by PayU or by the merchant.³⁵
4. Receive INR settlement: typically within T+2 business days.³⁶
5. Request the FIRC: through your Key Account Manager.⁶

Check PayU's checklist for the exact documents for your entity type.⁷

What are PayU fees and FX markup?

PayU's India pricing page lists 3% for international transactions under its Standard Plan, with GST extra and no setup or annual maintenance fee.⁴

The Standard Plan carries a terms and conditions note that PayU does not explain.⁴ The full table is on the PayU fees in India page.

How much INR do you receive on $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 with PayU?

PayU publishes its 3% fee but not its exchange margin, so the INR received on $2,000, $5,000 and $10,000 through PayU cannot be fully estimated.⁴⁶ The table below shows what the published data allows at today's rate.

Ask PayU for the margin at your volume before comparing.

How fast does PayU settle payments to India?

PayU says international payments are converted at the transaction-date rate and typically settle within T+2 business days.³⁶

• Standard settlement: typically T+2 business days.³⁶
• Conversion rate: the transaction-date rate.³
• Priority settlement: "may have a nominal fee".⁴

Does PayU provide FIRA and e-BRC, and is it RBI PA-CB authorised?

PayU is RBI-authorised as PA-CB I & O, and it says it provides a FIRC (Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate) through the merchant's Key Account Manager.¹⁶

PayU does not publish whether the FIRC is issued per transaction or per settlement.⁶ See FIRC vs FIRA vs e-BRC for what each document proves. A developer or video editor should ask PayU which purpose code is reported and check that it matches the service on the invoice; the purpose code guide explains how to pick one.

How do the 2026 EDF and realisation rules apply to money received through PayU?

From 1 October 2026, the FEMA (Export and Import of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2026 (the 2026 Regulations) require every exporter of services to give an Export Declaration Form (EDF) to the specified authority, usually the AD bank, within 30 days from the end of the month of invoicing; exporters of non-software services may instead file it on or before the date payment is received.⁸ The export value must be realised within nine months from the invoice date, or twelve months for invoices in Indian rupees.⁹

PayU's international payments pages checked for this review do not mention the EDF or how receipts are matched to it.³⁵⁶ Ask PayU and your bank how EDF filing works for receipts through a payment aggregator before you file. See EDPMS for service exporters and the export realisation period.

Which currencies, countries and payment methods does PayU support?

PayU says it accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards and PayPal, in 135+ currencies, and can show local prices in 27 currencies such as USD, CAD, EUR, GBP, CNH and SGD.³⁶

For example, a UK client of a Jaipur interior design consultant could pay a GBP invoice by card through a PayU payment page, and the consultant would receive rupees.³⁶

What are the pros and cons of PayU?

PayU's strengths are its RBI PA-CB I & O authorisation, card and PayPal acceptance and stated T+2 settlement, and its gaps are the unpublished margin, no bank transfer route and account-manager dependence.¹³⁵⁶

Pros:

• RBI authorisation: listed as PA-CB I & O.¹
• Card and PayPal: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal at checkout.³
• Many currencies: 135+ currencies accepted.³
• Stated settlement: typically T+2 business days.³⁶
• Published fee: 3% on the Standard Plan, with no setup or annual maintenance fee.⁴
• Wide entity range: individuals to public companies on the activation checklist.⁷

Cons:

• Card and wallet only: PayU's pages do not describe bank account details for foreign clients to pay by transfer.³⁵
• Exchange margin not published: PayU gives no figure.⁶
• Account manager needed: international payments and the FIRC both go through the Key Account Manager.⁵⁶
• ₹25 lakh per transaction: RBI rules cap PA-CB export transactions at this amount.²
• Some fees unstated: priority settlement "may have a nominal fee", and the Standard Plan carries an unexplained terms note.⁴

Is PayU worth it for Indian exporters and freelancers?

PayU's international payments product tends to suit an Indian business whose foreign customers pay by card or PayPal, such as an online course creator, a SaaS company or an agency taking deposits, and that wants rupees settled within about two business days.³⁶

• Business already on PayU for domestic payments: can ask its Key Account Manager to enable international payments on the same account.⁵
• Course creator or SaaS company selling by card: fits the checkout model.³
• Agency whose clients pay by bank transfer: no bank transfer route is described.³⁵
• Business that needs a published FX margin: none is published.⁶

For example, a Jaipur interior design consultant with UK clients could take GBP card payments on a PayU payment page, receive rupees in about two business days, and request a FIRC from the Key Account Manager.³⁶ GST and income tax treatment depends on the service and the client, so check with a chartered accountant where your facts are unusual.

What are the best alternatives to PayU?

The alternatives below are listed cheapest first by estimated cost on published fees, the order the INR tables on this site use.

For more options, see PayU alternatives. These pages compare PayU directly:

• Fees: PayU fees in India
• Head to head: PayU vs Adyen, Razorpay vs PayU and Wise vs PayU