Thomas Cook India has taken a major leap forward in transforming the way Indians transact overseas. In a pioneering move, the company has partnered with Google Pay, Mastercard, Visa and Blinkit to bring the future of foreign exchange into the hands of every traveller—quite literally. By enabling secure, contactless international payments through Google Pay across our suite of prepaid forex cards, Thomas Cook is redefining convenience, safety and ease for customers on the move. At a time when seamless digital experiences are becoming essential, this breakthrough positions us at the forefront of innovation in the Indian FX market.
For years, Foreign Exchange has been a quiet but essential part of the travel experience. At Thomas Cook India, we believe it deserves a much more meaningful role — one that reflects how Indians travel, transact, and connect with the world today.
India is at a unique crossroads. We are home to one of the world’s youngest travelling populations, among the fastest-growing outbound travel markets, and a digital ecosystem that has completely transformed consumer behaviour. In this environment, forex can no longer be viewed as a last-minute task. It needs to be seamless, secure, digital-first, and naturally embedded into the traveller’s journey. This belief is at the heart of how we are reimagining the Forex business at Thomas Cook India.
From Transactional to Transformational
Our goal has been clear: to evolve foreign exchange from a purely functional service into a strategic, customer-centric experience. As India’s largest non-bank foreign exchange services provider, serving over a million customers every year, we have a deep understanding of the diverse needs of leisure travellers, students, corporates and SMEs.
Today’s traveller expects the same ease abroad that they enjoy at home — instant payments, mobile-led solutions and uncompromising security. That expectation has pushed us to rethink not just what we offer, but how we deliver it.
Leading the Shift to Contactless Cross-Border Payments
One of our significant milestones this year has been enabling contactless cross-border payments on mobile devices, making Thomas Cook India the first forex card provider in the country to do so, in partnership with Google Pay and Visa, and subsequently Mastercard.
Customers can now add their Thomas Cook prepaid forex cards to Google Pay and transact overseas — at retail tap-and-pay terminals as well as online — using just their smartphones. Advanced network tokenisation adds an extra layer of security, ensuring safer transactions.
For travellers, this means no physical cards to carry, reduced risk of loss or theft, and a payment experience that is fast, intuitive and stress-free. For us, it marks a decisive step toward building a borderless, mobile-first payment ecosystem for the new-age Indian traveller.
TC Pay: A Digital-First Forex Ecosystem
While payments are a critical touchpoint, we recognised the need for something more comprehensive — a solution that brings the entire forex journey into one digital space. This led to the launch of TC Pay, our integrated, one-stop foreign exchange mobile app.
Through TC Pay, customers can buy or reload forex cards, buy or sell currency, send international remittances, and manage all card controls — end-to-end, digitally. Features like smart navigation, “save for future use,” biometric authentication, and real-time WhatsApp support are designed to reduce transaction time while elevating user experience.
Importantly, TC Pay also helps us extend our reach beyond physical branches, opening up new and under-served markets through a scalable, mobile-first platform — proving that technology can expand access without compromising trust or compliance.
Redefining Accessibility with Quick Commerce
Innovation also means meeting customers where they are — digitally and geographically. Our partnership with Blinkit is a bold and industry-first move.
Customers can now receive blank forex cards at their doorstep within minutes, followed by quick digital fulfilment through Video KYC and compliant card loading. In effect, a traveller can be fully prepared for an international trip within an hour — without leaving home.
This initiative reflects our ability to adapt emerging retail models like quick commerce, reinforcing our ‘Ghar Baithe Forex’ promise and setting new benchmarks for speed and convenience in a traditionally complex category.
Data-Led, Customer-Obsessed
Across all our initiatives, one principle remains constant: every innovation starts with a deep understanding of our customers. The growing adoption of our digital platforms — now contributing over 20% of forex volumes, with strong traction across app and WhatsApp channels — reassures us that we are moving in the right direction.
Our focus isn’t just digitisation, but meaningful digital transformation — where technology simplifies processes, strengthens security, and adds real value at every touchpoint.
Looking Ahead
At Thomas Cook India, foreign exchange is more than a service — it’s a future-ready growth engine and a reflection of our customer-first philosophy. Each initiative we have launched strengthens our position as India ka Forex Specialist, blending the trust of a legacy brand with the agility of a digital innovator.
As global travel continues to evolve, our commitment remains simple: to stay ahead of expectations, lead with innovation, and ensure that every Global Indian travels with confidence, convenience and complete peace of mind!