UPI Payments Go Live in Cambodia for Indian Travellers

Cambodian businesses, meanwhile, gain easier access to one of the world's fastest-growing outbound travel markets, potentially increasing transaction volumes and customer convenience.

Indian travellers visiting Cambodia can now make digital payments using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), following a new partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc. The launch marks a significant milestone in India's efforts to expand the global reach of its digital payment ecosystem and strengthen cross-border financial connectivity with partner countries. The service was officially unveiled in Phnom Penh during a ceremony attended by National Bank of Cambodia Governor Dr Chea Serey and senior representatives from the Reserve Bank of India.

Indian Visitors Can Pay at Millions of Cambodian Merchants

The initiative represents the first phase of a broader cross-border payment linkage between India and Cambodia. Under the newly launched system, Indian travellers can use their existing UPI-enabled applications to make QR code payments at more than 4.5 million merchant locations across Cambodia. The service operates through Bakong's KHQR, Cambodia's national QR code framework, allowing users to make secure and seamless transactions without relying on cash or currency exchange services. For tourists and business travellers, the development simplifies payments for shopping, dining, transportation and other daily expenses while travelling in Cambodia.

Two-Way Payment Corridor Planned

The partnership is designed to evolve into a fully interoperable payment network connecting both countries. While the initial phase focuses on enabling Indian users to make payments in Cambodia, the next stage will allow Cambodian citizens visiting India to use their domestic banking and digital payment applications to scan and pay through UPI QR codes across the country.

Once operational, the two-way corridor will create a seamless payment experience for travellers from both nations, further strengthening financial cooperation and digital integration. Officials said the project demonstrates the growing international acceptance of real-time payment systems and the potential for closer collaboration between national digital payment infrastructures.

Boost for Tourism and Local Businesses

The new payment corridor is expected to deliver benefits for travellers, merchants and the wider tourism industry. Indian visitors will no longer need to carry large amounts of cash or deal with the complexities of currency conversion and unfamiliar payment systems.

Cambodian businesses, meanwhile, gain easier access to one of the world's fastest-growing outbound travel markets, potentially increasing transaction volumes and customer convenience. Digital payments also reduce the operational challenges associated with handling cash while providing faster and more secure settlement of transactions. With Cambodia joining the UPI network, the country's acceptance footprint now extends to nine international destinations. UPI is already available in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar and Sri Lanka.

The expansion reflects India's growing influence in digital payments and its efforts to promote interoperable financial systems that make cross-border transactions faster, safer and more accessible.