NIC Asia Bank Limited has signed an agreement with Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) to become a principal member of the National Payment Switch–National Card Switch (NPS-NCS) and the NEPALPAY domestic card scheme. The agreement was signed by NIC Asia CEO Sujit Kumar Shakya and NCHL CEO Neelesh Man Singh Pradhan.

With the NEPALPAY infrastructure now ready, banks and financial institutions have started onboarding. Following the commercial rollout, NIC Asia Bank will be able to issue and acquire NEPALPAY domestic cards for its customers.

The NPS-NCS initiative is designed to:

• Streamline domestic card routing and settlement
• Reduce dependency on international networks
• Enable data localization
• Promote digital payment innovation

Currently, NCHL serves over 54 banks and financial institutions (BFIs), major payment system operators/service providers (PSOs/PSPs), and more than 100 indirect members. As a leading commercial bank with an extensive network, NIC Asia Bank’s onboarding is expected to strengthen Nepal’s domestic card ecosystem significantly.