Can you rely on UPI overseas? Changi Airport payment glitch raises questions for Indian travellers

A routine purchase at Singapore’s Changi Airport has turned into a viral reminder that India’s UPI, despite its global expansion, still isn’t a plug-and-play payment method for every Indian traveller.

Nikhil George, an Indian tourist, attempted to pay at The Cocoa Trees store inside Changi Airport by scanning a UPI QR code.

George said the cashier warned him before the attempt that UPI “almost never works” there. He decided to try anyway. He scanned the QR code using Google Pay, but the payment did not go through. Instead, the screen displayed the message: “Could not get conversion rate. Try scanning again.”

His experience, shared online, quickly sparked a wider conversation about how reliable UPI is once Indians travel outside the country—even in a tech-forward hub like Singapore.

India has linked UPI with systems such as Singapore’s PayNow and enabled cross-border merchant payments in several countries, including France, the UAE and Mauritius. Officials have also said Indians can use UPI at participating merchants at Changi Airport and other popular destinations.

Yet, in practice, acceptance can be uneven. Users report mixed experiences, with some transactions going through smoothly while others fail because of merchant-side setup, app limitations or foreign-exchange-related issues.

Even when UPI works overseas, travellers may face foreign-exchange markups and processing fees levied by their banks, which can make the final amount higher than expected. While NPCI has clarified that recent domestic MDR changes do not apply to international UPI transactions, standard foreign-exchange charges may still apply.

NPCI International Payments Limited also responded to George’s post. “Hi Nikhilgeorge, we apologise for the inconvenience. Kindly share any additional details with us via DM, and we’ll be happy to assist you further,” it wrote.

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Users Share Mixed Experiences With UPI Abroad

Social media users shared mixed experiences of using UPI for international payments. One user said UPI had worked for them in two countries and described the experience as “very good”, while another said they had used UPI in Sri Lanka through Lanka QR.

PhonePe was also mentioned, with one user calling it the most successful option for international UPI payments. Another user suggested trying UPI at Mustafa in Singapore’s Little India, noting that its performance can depend on the payment terminal and whether it has been updated.

Another user said they use UPI at Mustafa about once a month, adding that a 10% discount on UPI payments helps offset the exchange-rate markup. Users also pointed out that Google Pay works for them on some international booking websites, highlighting how the experience can vary depending on the platform and payment setup.

Some users, however, raised concerns about exchange rates, with one commenting, “Even if it works, the exchange rate kills it.”

Frequent travellers are now advising Indians to treat UPI as a convenient option rather than a replacement for cards. One user summed up the sentiment: “Keep your cards handy at all times because even today, UPI does not work everywhere.”

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