Travelling to Central Asia? You can now pay via UPI, cards and net banking seamlessly

If you’re planning a trip to Central Asia, your payment experience is about to become significantly easier. A new partnership between PayU and fintech infrastructure firm 8B now allows you to use UPI, net banking, and Indian debit or credit cards while travelling across countries like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

This means you no longer have to worry about carrying large amounts of foreign currency or struggling with unfamiliar payment systems. You can pay just like you do in India—whether you’re booking a hotel, buying food, or paying for local services.

What this means for you

If you’re used to scanning QR codes and paying instantly via UPI apps, that same experience now extends to Central Asia. Merchants connected to 8B’s network can accept your payments directly through UPI without requiring any new setup on your end.

In addition to UPI, you can also pay using net banking or your Indian debit and credit cards, including RuPay. The entire system is designed to work seamlessly with existing merchant infrastructure, so you won’t face awkward moments at checkout trying to figure out payment compatibility.

Why this matters now

Your travel options to Central Asia have been expanding rapidly. India’s outbound travel spending touched $18.82 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow sharply in the coming years. At the same time, destinations like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are seeing a surge in Indian tourists.

For instance, Kazakhstan welcomed around 250,000 Indian visitors in 2025, while Uzbekistan recorded a 22.7% rise in Indian arrivals. If you’re among those choosing these emerging destinations, this payment integration directly improves your travel experience.

No more payment friction abroad

Until now, one of the biggest inconveniences while travelling internationally has been payment friction—currency exchange costs, card acceptance issues, or failed transactions. This partnership aims to eliminate those barriers.

Now, when you land in cities like Almaty or Tashkent, you can continue using the same digital payment habits you rely on in India. There’s no need to adapt to a new system or worry about whether your payment method will work.

It’s not just about travel

Even beyond tourism, this development benefits you if you’re purchasing services or products from Central Asian businesses. Whether it’s booking tickets, digital services, or travel packages, payments can now be completed using familiar Indian methods.

This becomes especially relevant as trade ties between India and Central Asia strengthen. For example, India–Kazakhstan trade reached $923.3 million in 2025, indicating growing economic engagement.

How you pay globally

At a broader level, this move reflects a shift in global payments—where your domestic payment systems, like UPI, are no longer limited to India. Instead, they are becoming part of a global digital infrastructure.

Central Asia itself is witnessing strong tourism growth, with millions of international visitors and rising revenues. As a traveller, you benefit directly from this evolution, as payment systems begin to match the scale and convenience of modern travel.

For you, this means simpler, faster, and more reliable payments when travelling abroad. With UPI and other Indian payment options now accepted in Central Asia, your international travel experience becomes far more seamless—bringing the comfort of home-grown digital payments to global destinations.