India and Cambodia Launch UPI Cross-Border QR Payment Linkage

NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and ACLEDA Bank Plc. launched a cross-border QR payment linkage in Phnom Penh on June 2, 2026. This first phase of the initiative allows Indian travelers to make digital payments at more than 4.5 million merchant locations across Cambodia by scanning the national KHQR system through their existing UPI-enabled mobile applications.

Implemented under the guidance of the Reserve Bank of India and the National Bank of Cambodia, the project aligns with the G20 roadmap to make international payments faster and more affordable. By reducing reliance on cash and foreign currency exchanges, the system aims to boost bilateral trade and tourism. Cambodia is the ninth country to accept UPI, following the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Bhutan, Qatar, and Sri Lanka.

A second phase is planned to establish a fully bi-directional corridor. This will enable Cambodian citizens to use their own domestic banking applications to make payments at UPI-enabled merchants within India.