Fonepay is the QR network behind most "scan to pay" moments in Nepal: the customer opens their own mobile banking app, scans your QR, and the money lands in your bank account. For merchants it is one of the cheapest rails in the country to accept, and one of the least documented online.
This guide covers registration, the QR types, the portals you will actually use, the published fees, and the question that brings a lot of people here: what does the Fonepay API cost?
Last verified: July 2026 against Fonepay's published pages.
Quick answers
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where to register | fonepay.com/business/merchant-enrollment |
| What customers pay at your QR | Nothing. QR payments at merchant outlets are free per Fonepay's fee schedule |
| Where your money goes | Straight to your own bank account |
| Merchant portal | login.fonepay.com for QR, hub.fonepay.com for bills |
| API pricing | Not published. Commercials come from your acquiring bank agreement |
| Support | +977-15970044, complain.fonepay.com for grievances |
What Fonepay actually is
Fonepay is a payment network, licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank as a payment system operator. Member banks and wallets sit on both sides: the customer pays from their banking app, the network routes the payment, and the cleared funds settle into the bank account you registered on the schedule your settlement option sets (instant, multi-session, or on-request). That structure is why enrollment always involves picking a bank.
How to register
The enrollment form asks for:
- Owner details: full name, citizenship number, mobile number, email
- Business details: name, city, business type (retail, restaurant, service, e-commerce, other)
- PAN status: PAN or non-PAN merchant (yes, small non-PAN merchants can get a QR)
- Preferred bank or wallet to issue your QR and receive settlement
After you submit, the QR is issued through the bank or wallet you chose, and payments settle directly into that account. You can also start from the other end: most member banks will set up a Fonepay QR for you if you ask at your branch, since they are the issuing side anyway.
Static QR vs dynamic QR
Two different products hide behind "Fonepay QR":
- Static QR is the printed code on your counter. One QR, every customer scans the same code and types the amount. Free to accept, zero integration, ideal for shops and cafes.
- Dynamic QR is generated per transaction with the amount already embedded, which is what you want for online checkout: no typos, automatic confirmation, and your system knows exactly which order was paid. Dynamic QR comes through Fonepay's gateway products and API integration, and this is the version developers ask about. Our Fonepay API integration guide covers how it works in practice.
The portals and the app
Once enrolled you will touch three surfaces:
- login.fonepay.com to download your QR codes.
- hub.fonepay.com, the bills portal, for managing your Fonepay bills and services.
- The Fonepay Business app (fonepay.com/business/app) for payment notifications and day-to-day tracking on your phone.
Fees: what is actually published
Fonepay publishes a fee schedule (effective Shrawan 1, 2082). The highlights:
| Service | Charge |
|---|---|
| QR payment at a merchant outlet | Free, all amounts |
| Interbank fund transfer | Rs 10 per transaction |
| Education fee payments | Rs 10 |
| NEA electricity (above Rs 500) | Rs 5 |
| EMI payments | Rs 10 |
These listed charges are collected from member banks and financial institutions, so where they reach a customer, they reach them through the bank side. The number that matters most for merchants is the first row: your customer pays nothing extra to pay you by QR.
On your side of the table, merchant commercials (commission and settlement terms) are set in your agreement with the acquiring bank, and Fonepay does not publish them. How fast the money arrives is configurable though, and it is worth choosing deliberately: instant, multi-session, or on-request. We broke those down in the Fonepay settlement options guide.
So what does the Fonepay API cost?
The honest answer, since a lot of people search exactly this: Fonepay does not publish API or gateway pricing. The costs that exist are:
- Your merchant agreement with the acquiring bank, which sets any commission on the payments you accept.
- Integration effort, which is real: dynamic QR generation, a websocket or polling flow for confirmation, verification, and reconciliation.
The first cost you negotiate once. The second one you can skip entirely: PayBridgeNP already runs the Fonepay integration (dynamic QR generation, live payment confirmation, webhooks, refund tracking) alongside eSewa and Khalti, behind one API. We charge a flat plan fee, nothing per transaction, and your Fonepay settlement still lands in your own bank account under your own agreement. The Fonepay page shows how it fits together.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a Fonepay QR for my business? Fill the enrollment form or ask your bank. You pick the bank or wallet that issues the QR, and settlement goes to your account there.
Is Fonepay free for merchants? Customers pay nothing at your QR. Your own terms, commission and settlement, come from your acquiring bank agreement. Instant settlement carries a small per-settlement charge; multi-session is free.
Can a business without a PAN register? The enrollment form has a non-PAN merchant option for small merchants. Larger and online businesses should expect to need a PAN.
What is the Fonepay merchant login? login.fonepay.com for QR downloads and hub.fonepay.com for the bills portal. The Business app covers daily tracking.
How do I accept Fonepay on my website? Either integrate Fonepay's dynamic QR API directly, or connect your Fonepay merchant account to PayBridgeNP and get it inside a hosted checkout with eSewa and Khalti, with confirmation webhooks handled for you.
Next Steps
- See Fonepay through PayBridgeNP, with eSewa and Khalti in the same checkout.
- Understand your payout timing: Fonepay settlement options.
- Building it yourself? Start with the Fonepay API integration guide.
- Check if Fonepay is up right now: live Fonepay status.
Sources
- Fonepay merchant enrollment, verified July 2026.
- Fonepay fees and charges, effective Shrawan 1, 2082.
- Fonepay Business app and merchant portals.