HDFC Bank has integrated India’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the Digital Rupee (e₹), into its SmartGateway merchant payment platform, enabling merchants to accept CBDC payments as a native payment method alongside UPI, debit and credit cards, and net banking, at zero transaction cost.
SmartGateway is HDFC Bank’s unified merchant payment acceptance platform that allows businesses to process multiple digital payment methods through a single integration. With the latest enhancement, CBDC is now supported as a payment option, offering merchants a sovereign-backed, secure, and instant mode of payment while existing payment methods continue to operate seamlessly.
The integration allows merchants to accept Digital Rupee payments without incurring transaction fees, potentially improving cost efficiency when compared to traditional card-based payments. Customers benefit from a fast and secure RBI-backed currency option that is embedded directly into the checkout experience.
HDFC Bank is among the pilot banks participating in India’s CBDC initiative and has seen growing adoption of the Digital Rupee. As of late 2025, the bank serviced approximately 845,000 CBDC wallets, with regular monthly additions.
By integrating CBDC into SmartGateway, HDFC Bank is extending the use of the Digital Rupee beyond peer-to-peer transactions and into mainstream merchant payments, supporting broader adoption of sovereign digital currency within India’s evolving digital payments ecosystem.
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