SmartChoice Technologies (SCT), Nepal’s first integrated shared switching payment network, has announced a strategic partnership with CityTech Group Pvt. Ltd. to revolutionize the country’s digital payment landscape. The collaboration integrates SCT’s extensive payment switching infrastructure with CityTech’s “FinPOS” hardware, creating an all-in-one terminal designed to streamline merchant transactions across the country.
The partnership aims to address a common merchant pain point: the need for multiple devices to accept different payment types. The FinPOS terminal, an Android-based sophisticated hardware solution, will now serve as a unified hub capable of processing:
Multiple Card Schemes: Full compatibility with Visa, UnionPay, and the domestic NepalPay card variants.
Dynamic QR Payments: Integration with SCT’s “SmartQR” network to generate tamper-proof dynamic QR codes for secure mobile payments.
Interbank Connectivity: Leveraging SCT’s 20-year track record to provide seamless real-time validation and settlement across commercial banks, development banks, and cooperatives.
By utilizing SCT’s “Smart Switch” and proprietary domestic network, financial institutions—including smaller B-class and C-class banks—can now offer high-end POS services to local merchants without requiring independent card scheme memberships or heavy upfront security certifications. This “infrastructure-as-a-service” model is expected to accelerate the adoption of digital payments in smaller towns and among SME traders.
The FinPOS device also aligns with the Nepal Rastra Bank’s (NRB) push for “Cashless Nepal” by prioritizing domestic payment self-reliance while maintaining connectivity to global financial grids. The terminal’s software-driven nature allows for future scalability, such as integrating loyalty programs and inventory management directly into the payment flow.
Editor’s Note: This partnership marks a shift toward terminal consolidation in Nepal’s fragmented payment market. By merging SCT’s domestic “brain” with CityTech’s hardware “brawn,” the duo is positioning FinPOS as the standard for Nepalese merchants who previously juggled separate systems for QR and card payments. Watch for how this affects the market share of international POS providers as domestic interoperability becomes the primary selling point for local SMEs.
