In a major boost to cross-border digital payments, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc. have launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance in Cambodia through KHQR, the country’s national QR code standard. The launch marks the first phase of a cross-border QR payment linkage between India and Cambodia.
The initiative enables Indian travellers to make secure and seamless payments at more than 4.5 million merchant outlets across Cambodia by scanning Bakong KHQR codes using their existing UPI-enabled mobile applications. The service can be used at tourist attractions, restaurants, retail stores and other merchant establishments across the country.
The launch was formally announced during a ceremony in Phnom Penh attended by Dr. Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, along with representatives from the Reserve Bank of India.
Under the next phase of the project, Cambodian visitors to India will be able to make payments at millions of UPI QR-enabled merchant locations using their domestic banking and payment applications. The move is expected to create a two-way interoperable payment corridor between the two countries, facilitating tourism, trade and business transactions.
According to NIPL, the partnership will strengthen digital payment connectivity between India and Cambodia by delivering real-time, secure and interoperable transactions. Cambodian merchants are also expected to benefit from access to a large base of Indian digital consumers, improved cash management and reduced dependence on physical currency.
The launch represents another milestone in the global expansion of India’s UPI ecosystem and reinforces growing financial and economic cooperation between India and Cambodia.
