Nepal’s two leading digital wallets Khalti and IME Pay will start their integrated operation from Shrawan 01, 2082. The two entities reportedly signed a merger deal a few months ago. It emerged that Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has given its final approval for the agreement for their merger on June 18, 2025.
Both digital wallets were in effort to get the approval from the federal bank for months. With the nod, their merger process will now go ahead before starting the digital payment service as a “new company.”
It’s been said that following their merger, the app will be called “Khalti” while the company’s name will be IME Khalti Limited. Let’s say that the Khalti part of the name is being retained. It does sound convenient than IME-Khalti or vice versa, doesn’t it?
After the merger, users of both Khalti and IME Pay will get their digital wallet services on one single app.
Khalti-IME Pay to start user migration
After unified operation begins on Shrawan 01, both companies will start will start user adjustment and user migration for the next three months. But till the transaction takes place via a single app, both Khalti and IME Pay will continue to work independently.
Users’ balance, reward points will be integrated. IME Pay users will have a choice to integrate to Khalti by giving their approval.
Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)’s Payment and Settlement Bylaw 2077 has made arrangements for a digital wallet merger. Khalti and IME Pay are merging in accordance with the same provision.
Check out: Top Digital Wallets in Nepal | Latest 2025
Khalti-IME Pay will merge and it’s a mega deal in the market
Khalti-IME Pay merger is huge and ambitious and it could significantly affect Nepal’s fintech market. Khalti and IME Pay are both leading digital wallets. But their merger creates an even bigger market player in one form. To arguablu asser, Khalti could as well become a top digital wallet in Nepal.
As of now, eSewa is Nepal’s top digital wallet in terms of user base. It has 8 million users. IME Pay and Khalti are said to have 5 million and 4 million users, respectively. So, by this account, IME Khalti will boast the largest customer base for any digital wallet in Nepal. Recently, Khalti reached 5 million downloads on Play Store. Its a testament to its huge popularity and acceptance among users.
Check out: Limit of digital payment/transaction in Nepal
When will IME-Khalti come into operation?
IME Khalti could start its operation in the next few months. NRB’s Payment and Settlement Bylaw 2077 states that after a merger, the new platform must perform its electronic transaction within a month. So, we might see IME Khalti coming live on the app store and allowing users to transact.
Conclusion
Khalti and IME Pay are the two leading mobile payment apps in Nepal. They are licensed payment service providers (PSPs) of Nepal. Their merger will make it Nepal’s largest digital wallet in the integrated form of Khalti. It will also give a major competition to eSewa which is currently the largest market player in the country.
There are dozens of digital wallets in Nepal with only a few making it big. As Khalti and IME Pay merge, it’s likely to give Nepal’s fintech market a new dimension. So, it will be interesting to see how the market evolves when the ‘new’ Khalti platform finally starts its active operation.
Also recommended: How to Pay NEA Electricity Bill Online From Khalti?
What’s your opinion on Khalti-IME Pay merger? Is it going to disrupt the digital wallet market in Nepal? Do share your opinion in the comment section below.
