Beacon Introduces India Bill Pay, Enabling Immigrants to Manage Money Seamlessly Across Borders

TORONTO, ON (February 4, 2025) – Beacon, a company reinventing financial services for immigrants to Canada, is thrilled to announce the launch of Beacon India Bill Pay, a first-of-its-kind tool that enables users in Canada to pay bills in India directly from their Beacon Money account – now officially available for public download and use. 

Many immigrants face the delicate balance of building their lives in Canada while keeping ties to their home countries, with 60% of remittances to India used for family maintenance. Beacon India Bill Pay addresses a critical need for immigrants who continue to have financial obligations in India after arriving in Canada, such as everyday bills, loan payments, and family expenses. 

With this launch, Beacon becomes the first company in North American to tie upwith India’s national bill payment infrastructure known as Bharat Connect, previously known as Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), to enable these payments in a secure way and compliant with Reserve Bank of India policies. By providing a straightforward way to pay over 20,000 bills in India with Canadian Dollars directly from a Beacon Money account, temporary foreign workers, recent graduates, and long-term immigrants to Canada, can manage their cross-border finances without relying on intermediaries or costly Non-Resident Indian (NRI) accounts.

“From the moment I arrived in Canada, I struggled with the inefficient, costly, and risky process of sending money home,” said Aditya Mhatre, co-founder and CPTO of Beacon. “Even to this day, I continue to face those same challenges. That is why Beacon was created – to streamline the financial experience for immigrants, making it easier and more secure. With the introduction of India Bill Pay, we are tackling a major pain point for immigrants and their families, enabling them to manage their financial responsibilities easily in Canada and India.”

Beacon Money, now available to the public, enables Indian nationals to open a Canadian account even before arriving in Canada – no SIN or Canadian address is required. With a fully digital onboarding process, users can set up their accounts within 10 minutes and access a virtual card for immediate transactions. Additionally, physical Visa cards are delivered 7–10 days after arrival, offering comprehensive financial functionality, including global transactions, Interac e-Transfers®, and bill payments.

“We are pleased to partner with Beacon to extend the convenience of Bharat Connect (BBPS) to users in Canada,” said Noopur Chaturvedi, CEO of NBBL. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to offering a seamless, convenient and reliable platform for bill payments, ensuring Indians abroad can easily manage essential services back home.”

Key Features of India Bill Pay:

• Pay India Bills Directly from Canada: For the first time, immigrants can settle utility bills, hospital bills, family expenses, and other payments in India from all within a single app and through your Beacon Money account, eliminating intermediaries and complex NRI accounts.
• Seamless Cross-Border Management: Easily manage both Canadian and Indian payments in one app, designed for immigrants’ needs.
• Quick and Easy Setup: Open a Canadian account in under 10 minutes.
• Low Fees and Fast Transactions: Avoid high fees and delays associated with traditional methods, with competitive rates and fast processing.
• Inclusive and Accessible: Beacon’s digital Know Your Customer (KYC) process gets you up and running quickly.
  

How India Bill Pay Works:

1. Sign Up and Set Up Your Beacon Money Account: Download the My Beacon Super app and complete the easy digital onboarding process. 
2. Select and Pay Bills: Choose the biller from the list of supported Indian services, including utilities, health providers, mobile carriers, and education providers. Enter the required payment details, such as the bill amount and due date, and Beacon will convert your Canadian funds into Indian Rupees (INR) to complete the payment.
3. Confirm and Track Payments: Beacon Money ensures your payments are processed quickly and securely. You will receive an SMS confirmation of the payment within seconds, and you can easily track your transaction history directly from the app.
4. Repeat Payments Anytime: Once set up, managing ongoing payments like utility bills and loan installments in India is as simple as a few taps. You can schedule recurring payments or make one-time payments as needed.

With the launch of India Bill Pay, Beacon expands its financial services for immigrants, offering a seamless way to manage money across borders. This feature complements Beacon Remit, which allows users to send money from India to Canada with low fees and competitive exchange rates.

Beacon’s mission is to provide simple, secure, cost-effective financial solutions to help immigrants thrive in Canada. With the addition of India Bill Pay, Beacon continues to add to its suite of financial tools, offering comprehensive services for managing finances in Canada and India after arrival in their new country.

About Beacon

Beacon is a purpose-built financial solution to help immigrants in Canada settle with ease and build their future with confidence. Based in Toronto and Montreal, Beacon was founded in 2023 by Stuart Szabo and Aditya Mhatre. The organization’s mission is to simplify the path to a new life in Canada by delivering resources, guides and financial products through its Super App to ensure immigrants have all the tools they need to build their brightest possible future. 

To learn more and to download the My Beacon app, visit www.mybeacon.ca

For media inquiries, please contact:

Amrita Gurney

amrita@mybeacon.ca

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