India-Cambodia UPI link goes live, enabling QR payments for Indian travellers
Indian travellers can now make seamless UPI payments at over 4.5 million merchants in Cambodia, following the launch of a cross-border QR payment linkage between the two countries. The move marks another milestone in India's efforts to expand UPI globally and simplify international transactions.
- Jun 3, 2026,
- Updated Jun 3, 2026 8:54 PM IST
India has expanded the global footprint of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the launch of QR-code based cross-border merchant payments between India and Cambodia, allowing Indian travellers to make seamless digital payments across the Southeast Asian nation. The initiative was launched in Phnom Penh on June 2, 2026, marking another step in India's efforts to strengthen international payment connectivity.
The launch is part of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) ongoing strategy to interlink UPI with fast payment systems in other countries and promote efficient cross-border transactions. The initiative aligns with the G20 roadmap aimed at making international payments cheaper, faster, more transparent, and more accessible.
Under the first phase of the arrangement, Indian travellers visiting Cambodia can use their existing UPI-enabled mobile applications to make payments at more than 4.5 million merchants that accept KHQR, Cambodia's national QR code standard. The interoperability has been established through a collaboration between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Acleda Bank Plc., under the guidance of the RBI and the National Bank of Cambodia.
The development is expected to significantly improve the payment experience for Indian tourists, business travellers, and professionals visiting Cambodia. Instead of carrying cash or relying on international debit and credit cards, travellers can now make real-time merchant payments by simply scanning QR codes using their preferred UPI applications.
Industry observers say the move could reduce transaction friction and lower dependence on foreign currency exchanges. It also offers a secure and transparent payment alternative, leveraging the familiarity and convenience that Indian users already enjoy through UPI domestically.
The RBI noted that the initiative is designed to facilitate QR-code based Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions between the two countries. By enabling direct digital payments, the system is expected to strengthen economic and tourism ties while promoting wider adoption of digital payments across borders.
The launch also adds to UPI's growing international presence, with India steadily building payment linkages with multiple countries in Asia and beyond. Policymakers view such partnerships as an important component of India's digital public infrastructure strategy and a means to simplify payment experiences for overseas travellers.
The current rollout covers payments by Indian travellers in Cambodia. The second phase of the initiative will allow Cambodian travellers to make merchant payments in India using UPI QR codes, creating a two-way payment corridor between the countries.
With the latest launch, India continues to position UPI as a global digital payments platform, extending the reach of one of the world's most widely used real-time payment systems beyond its borders.
India has expanded the global footprint of its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with the launch of QR-code based cross-border merchant payments between India and Cambodia, allowing Indian travellers to make seamless digital payments across the Southeast Asian nation. The initiative was launched in Phnom Penh on June 2, 2026, marking another step in India's efforts to strengthen international payment connectivity.
The launch is part of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) ongoing strategy to interlink UPI with fast payment systems in other countries and promote efficient cross-border transactions. The initiative aligns with the G20 roadmap aimed at making international payments cheaper, faster, more transparent, and more accessible.
Under the first phase of the arrangement, Indian travellers visiting Cambodia can use their existing UPI-enabled mobile applications to make payments at more than 4.5 million merchants that accept KHQR, Cambodia's national QR code standard. The interoperability has been established through a collaboration between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Acleda Bank Plc., under the guidance of the RBI and the National Bank of Cambodia.
The development is expected to significantly improve the payment experience for Indian tourists, business travellers, and professionals visiting Cambodia. Instead of carrying cash or relying on international debit and credit cards, travellers can now make real-time merchant payments by simply scanning QR codes using their preferred UPI applications.
Industry observers say the move could reduce transaction friction and lower dependence on foreign currency exchanges. It also offers a secure and transparent payment alternative, leveraging the familiarity and convenience that Indian users already enjoy through UPI domestically.
The RBI noted that the initiative is designed to facilitate QR-code based Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions between the two countries. By enabling direct digital payments, the system is expected to strengthen economic and tourism ties while promoting wider adoption of digital payments across borders.
The launch also adds to UPI's growing international presence, with India steadily building payment linkages with multiple countries in Asia and beyond. Policymakers view such partnerships as an important component of India's digital public infrastructure strategy and a means to simplify payment experiences for overseas travellers.
The current rollout covers payments by Indian travellers in Cambodia. The second phase of the initiative will allow Cambodian travellers to make merchant payments in India using UPI QR codes, creating a two-way payment corridor between the countries.
With the latest launch, India continues to position UPI as a global digital payments platform, extending the reach of one of the world's most widely used real-time payment systems beyond its borders.