Indian payment services provider Citrus Pay has announced a partnership with gift card solutions provider Qwikcilver to enable its 17m users to make in-store mobile payments using a gift card or voucher generated in Qwikcilver’s Woohoo mobile gifting app.

The partnership means that Citrus Wallet users will be able to preload a virtual gift card with funds stored in their wallet and use the gift card as a debit card at the point-of-sale in more than 5,000 stores.

“The Woohoo app, powered by Citrus, enables the preloading of Woohoo gift cards or vouchers with a desired amount of money,” Citrus Pay explained to NFC World. “A user logs into the app and generates a voucher in-store by choosing the brand they are shopping at.

“The merchant accepts the payment by scanning a barcode on the user’s screen like most prepaid vouchers. If the voucher is not used within 30 minutes, it expires and the money is then refunded into the user’s Citrus wallet.”

Participating retailers include apparel brands Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Arrow, Peter England and lifestyle brands Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle. The service is also being accepted at entertainment venues including PVR cinemas.

“Citrus is very glad to partner with Woohoo which increases more acceptance points for the Citrus wallet,” says Citrus Pay’s founder Jitendra Gupta. “This gives Citrus Wallet consumers a real opportunity to use their wallet at more than 5,000 merchant locations serviced by Woohoo.”