Indian tourists get 20% discount on PickMe rides in Sri Lanka via UPI

Indian travellers visiting Sri Lanka can now avail a flat 20% discount on rides booked through PickMe, the island nation's largest ride-hailing platform, when they make payments using Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

The offer, announced by NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), provides a discount of up to LKR 750 on every eligible PickMe ride. The initiative is aimed at making local transportation more convenient for Indian tourists while encouraging greater adoption of UPI for overseas payments.

PickMe serves more than 1.9 million unique users and provides mobility services across major cities, tourist destinations and airport transfer routes in Sri Lanka. The platform is widely used by both local residents and visitors travelling across the country.

Under the initiative, Indian travellers can pay for PickMe rides directly from their Indian bank accounts through UPI-enabled applications. This allows them to make real-time digital payments while reducing their reliance on cash and the need for currency exchange during their stay.

To use UPI in Sri Lanka, eligible travellers need to activate the UPI Global or UPI International service for their bank account through their UPI-enabled application. Once activated, they can use UPI at supported merchants during their visit.

Sri Lanka remains one of the most important overseas destinations for Indian tourists. More than 531,000 Indian tourists visited the country in 2025, making India Sri Lanka's largest tourism source market.

UPI is accepted at several locations across Sri Lanka, including pilgrimage sites, tourist attractions, shopping centres, transportation services, cafes, restaurants and other merchants that accept LankaQR. The wider acceptance of UPI is expected to make digital payments more accessible for Indian visitors throughout their trips.

NIPL said extending UPI payments to local mobility services addresses one of the most frequent and practical requirements for international travellers. The partnership with PickMe is also expected to strengthen digital payment connectivity between India and Sri Lanka.

NIPL, incorporated in 2020 as a wholly owned subsidiary of NPCI, is responsible for taking India's UPI and RuPay payment systems to international markets through partnerships, technology assistance and consulting.