Alibaba-Backed PayTm Struggles With Global Payments. What Chance Do Others Have?

A brutal reminder of how convoluted and treacherous mobile cross-borders are today was shared by Paytm on Friday (June 10). That's when the Alibaba-backed wallet said that it can't be used for overseas payments based on current regulations, requiring instead that wallet users pay in Indian rupees.

Let's be clear. Paytm is no slouch among mobile wallets and it's backed by Alibaba-the multinational's multinational. If Paytm and its partners can't navigate payments from country to country, that's frightening. "While the mobile technology can create lower cost and friction free alternatives for cross border small value payments, the same is subject to licensing under FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999). Any cross border payments services by the payments bank will be offered subject to FEMA authorizations and RBI approvals. As such, the current Paytm Wallet cannot be used for overseas payments," the Paytm statement said. "As per the existing authorization, the wallet can only be used in India and any impression that the existing Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) semi closed wallet can directly used offshore/for cross border transactions is unintentional."