India is a fast growing global economy and global growth implies global transactions. Besides that, there are a lot of smartphone users who would be willing to buy apps from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. So while it is sad that a lot of Indian Debit and Credit cards (e.g SBI) will not work on PayPal (or Google Wallet) due to the Verified by Visa PIN being required at all times, luckily there are some banks (eg. ICICI) which do support making payments through payment systems that have not yet implemented the Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode authentication. Here I have tried to list and compare some of those.
Indian Cards working on PayPal & other Non-VBV Sites
Update: There’s some news about a new RBI circular making the 2-factor authentication compulsory. But that’s only for when the seller is located in India. More in this comment.
| Card Issuer (Bank Name) [EMV Chip based cards ONLY] |
Debit Card | Credit Card | ||
| PayPal | Google Wallet | PayPal | Google Wallet | |
| Axis Bank | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| HDFC Bank | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| ICICI Bank | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Indian Bank | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank including Kotak 811 |
YES | YES | YES | YES |
| South Indian Bank | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| State Bank of India (Visa Global Card) |
YES | YES | N/A | N/A |
| Union Bank Digipurse Wallet (Virtual) |
NO? | NO? | N/A | N/A |
| Bank of Baroda (Visa) | Yes | Yes | YES? | YES? |
| Indian Overseas Bank | YES | YES | YES? | YES? |
| Karur Vysya Bank | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Punjab National Bank | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Union Bank of India (UBI) | NO | NO | NO | NO |
| Vijaya Bank | NO | NO | NO | NO |
* The above table is made from data collected and/or contributed by visitors. I don’t claim it to be fully authentic.
Please do note that banks issue different type of cards and there will be some which will work and some which will not. So, it would also be nice if you consult your bank in advance and opt for that particular card only if you’re going to open a new bank account. Also make sure that you opt for a Global card and not the one which is valid for India, Nepal and Bhutan only.
Activation Procedure
Mentioned below are the additional details which would be helpful in activating the international usage on the cards. Your bank’s support needs to be helpful for the success.
Axis Bank – I’ve personally used a Debit Card issued by Axis Bank and it went in smooth. I was able to make a payment minutes after getting my card activated. I opted for an Axis Prime card and got the VBV/3D passcode set up and then called up the helpline to enable International Usage (can be done easily using the IVR or via the NetBanking as well). To activate using new net banking interface, go to Accounts> My debit cards> More Services> Change Usage Preferences.
ICICI Bank – ICICI Bank customers just need to call up the helpline and speak to a live representative to ask for the activation of International Payment on their cards. It takes around 24 hours to get activated and thereafter you can use your card on all the shopping ports including PayPal and Google Wallet. You can also send an SMS in the form INTL <space> last four digit of your debit card number to 5676766 to enable international transactions.
Kotak Mahindra Bank – I’ve myself tried with Kotak Jifi account which comes with EMV Chip based international debit card (visa). All that was needed to be done was to use Debit Card at any ATM to activate it and it immediately started working on PayPal and other sites.
Others have confirmed that other debit cards from Kotak Mahindra Bank also work fine. If international usage is not enabled on your card, login to Net banking and enable the same.
Bank of Baroda – Make sure you have an International Chip based card. Call the helpline or enable international transactions or do it via the NetBanking and wait for 24 hours before starting to use your card internationally.
Union Bank of India – As reported by Niraj Bathwar in the comments, he can use his UBI Card on PayPal pretty easily. All he did was to call the helpline and opt for activation of international usage.
State Bank of India – Thanks to many who commented below to inform about the SBI cards. I’ve also personally tested it and it works. If you have an International Visa card from SBI, you can activate international usage by going to – NetBanking > e-Services > ATM Card services (from left sidebar) > ATM card limit/channel/usage change > Change usage type > International Usage > Enable.
* The above data comes from what others have mentioned or contributed. I don’t claim it to be fully authentic.
But.. My Debit Card is an International Card!
Sure, almost all of the banks do issue international debit card these days and whilst they can be used internationally for withdrawing cash via ATMs or at POS, they will not work when using them for an online transaction. This is because the banks have made it mandatory to authenticate every transaction using the MasterCard or Visa 3D PIN. So unless the shopping website or its payment intermediary implements the 3D code authentication, your card will not work.
So why do some cards work?
Basically that’s dependent on the individual bank and its policies. Some say that RBI has given out guidelines that VBV authorization is compulsory, but because some banks do work, it seems that the statement is not fully true.
Can my card be automatically charged again?
What happens on sites with VBV Implementation?
Thanks to:
- Thiruberg for providing the SMS short code for ICICI Bank
- Niraj Bathwar for confirming UBI cards to be working on PayPal
Thanks surya for mentioning SBIinTouch cards and providing the application form.- Rupanjan, Samir and others for updating about the SBIinTouch card not working anymore
- Sunil Pande for confirming that Baroda cards are not working
- Arif basha for informing about karur vysya visa cards not working
- Sammy for re-confirming that Indian Bank EMV Mastercard is working
- Jayamurali for informing that South Indian Bank cards are working
