India's UPI Set for Use in Cambodia Following NPCI-ACLEDA Partnership

NPCI International Payments has entered into a partnership with Cambodia based ACLEDA Bank to enable the use of India’s Unified Payments Interface in Cambodia. The agreement also allows acceptance of Cambodia’s national QR network, Bakong KHQR, in India.  

The initiative aims to strengthen cross border digital payments and support travellers and businesses in both countries. 

Key Development: Dual Acceptance of UPI and KHQR 

The partnership creates full interoperability between UPI and KHQR. Indian travellers in Cambodia can now pay at local outlets using UPI powered apps, while Cambodian travellers in India will be able to use KHQR for merchant payments.  

The joint announcement stated that the collaboration will support businesses in both countries by offering a secure, interoperable and frictionless payment experience via UPI and KHQR, significantly enhancing convenience for consumers in both markets. 

Statements and Merchant Coverage Across Both Nations 

There are more than 4.5 million KHQR merchant touch points in Cambodia where Indian tourists can make payments using UPI apps. Cambodian visitors to India can transact at over 709 million UPI QR code merchant points. 

As per news reports, Ritesh Shukla, managing director and chief executive officer at NIPL, said, “By enabling UPI and KHQR acceptance across both countries, we aim to make travel simpler and empower consumers with trusted and familiar payment options.” 

Dr In Channy, president and group managing director of ACLEDA Bank, said, “In addition, this collaboration represents an important step toward regional payment interoperability, aligning with ASEAN’s vision of advancing inclusive digital economies and fostering financial innovation in digital payments, empowering our customers with fast, affordable and secure cross border options that boost trade and tourism for both nations.” 

India’s Wider Push for International Payment Linkages 

The agreement follows India’s recent announcement that UPI will be interlinked with TARGET Instant Payment Settlement, the instant payment system operated by the Eurosystem. The Reserve Bank of India and NIPL will work with the European Central Bank on technical integration, settlement mechanisms and risk management. 

UPI acceptance for Indian travellers is already available in Singapore, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Qatar and France. More than two million international merchants currently support UPI payments. NIPL is also assisting countries such as Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago and Peru in building systems similar to UPI. 

Read More: UPI Transactions Records Dip of 1% in Volume for November; Daily Average Transaction Increases! 

Conclusion 

The UPI KHQR interoperability arrangement deepens digital payment connectivity between India and Cambodia, benefiting travellers, merchants and financial institutions on both sides. With strong global expansion efforts and rising international partnerships, UPI continues to establish itself as a major real time payments framework worldwide. 

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