India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is headed to Cambodia through a new partnership between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc. The move will allow Indian travellers to make payments seamlessly at merchant outlets across Cambodia, while Cambodian users will be able to transact in India using KHQR-enabled apps.

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What this means for travellers

1. Indian visitors will soon be able to pay via UPI at more than 4.5 million KHQR-enabled merchant locations in Cambodia, covering retail, dining, tourism and more.

2. Cambodian travellers in India will be able to scan and pay using KHQR apps across over 709 million UPI-enabled QR codes.

3. The partnership aims to provide a secure and frictionless payment experience, eliminating the need for cash or currency exchange.

Why this matters

NIPL says the collaboration reinforces its commitment to expanding secure and inclusive digital payments worldwide. For Cambodia, ACLEDA Bank sees this as a major step in strengthening ASEAN’s push for interoperable, regional payment systems.

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Rollout timeline

The technical framework for UPI–KHQR linkage is already in place. Full cross-border QR acceptance — where UPI apps can scan KHQR codes and vice versa — is expected to go live in the second half of 2026.

UPI is already accepted in countries such as Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Mauritius, Qatar and France — and this collaboration marks another milestone in its growing global footprint.