Indian travellers visiting Cambodia can now make payments using the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at more than 4.5 million merchant outlets across the country, following the launch of UPI acceptance through Cambodia's national QR code system, KHQR. 

The facility has been launched by the National Payments Corporation of India's international arm, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) in partnership with ACLEDA Bank Plc., marking the first phase of a cross-border QR payment linkage between India and Cambodia. 

The launch was formalised at a ceremony in Phnom Penh attended by Chea Serey, Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia, along with representatives from the Reserve Bank of India. 

Under the arrangement, Indian users can scan Bakong's KHQR, Cambodia's interoperable national QR code system, and make payments directly through their UPI-enabled mobile applications at tourist destinations, restaurants, retail stores and other merchant establishments across the country. 

In the next phase of the initiative, Cambodian visitors to India will be able to use their domestic banking and payment applications to make payments at millions of UPI QR-enabled merchant locations, creating a two-way interoperable digital payment corridor between the two countries. 

The partnership is expected to enable seamless, real-time and secure cross-border retail payments while enhancing convenience for travellers and strengthening tourism and business ties between India and Cambodia. 

For Cambodian merchants, the initiative offers access to a large base of Indian consumers while reducing dependence on cash transactions and improving operational efficiency through digital payments. 

Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NPCI International, said the launch represents another step in expanding India's digital payment infrastructure globally through strategic partnerships. 

"Enabling UPI acceptance in Cambodia is a significant milestone. It allows Indian travellers to enjoy a familiar, secure and seamless payment experience abroad, while providing Cambodian merchants access to millions of digital-first consumers. The collaboration strengthens real-time payment connectivity between the two ecosystems and lays the foundation for deeper tourism and commercial engagement," he said. 

Dr. In Channy, President and Group Managing Director of ACLEDA Bank, said the partnership would simplify transactions for travellers by reducing payment friction and foreign exchange-related challenges. 

He added that integrating the payment systems of India and Cambodia would help local merchants tap a large digital consumer market, improve liquidity management and benefit from secure real-time settlement mechanisms, while also promoting financial inclusion and strengthening economic ties between the two countries.