You can access the press release from here.
Indian travellers in Cambodia can now pay merchants using UPI-based QR code payments, following the launch of a payment connectivity arrangement between the two countries on June 2.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the first phase of the project allows users of Indian UPI apps to make payments at more than 4.5 million Cambodian merchants that accept KHQR, the country’s national QR code standard.
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Acleda Bank Plc. launched the service under the oversight of the RBI and the National Bank of Cambodia.
The second phase will enable Cambodian travellers to use UPI QR payments at merchants in India. The RBI said the arrangement will allow Indian visitors in Cambodia to reduce their reliance on cash and card payments.
Growing International Footprint: The Cambodia launch adds to an expanding list of international payment linkages built around UPI. India’s first real-time payment system connection was with Singapore’s PayNow. UPI has also expanded through partnerships in countries including the UAE, Bhutan, Nepal, France, Mauritius, Maldives and Qatar, allowing Indian users to make merchant payments abroad.
In November 2025, the RBI announced plans to link UPI with the European Central Bank’s TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS) platform to enable real-time cross-border transfers across Europe.
Alipay+ Talks Raise Questions: India is also exploring new international partnerships. Reuters reported in February that Indian authorities and the RBI were in discussions with Ant International’s Alipay+ platform on a possible cross-border payments linkage. If approved, the arrangement could significantly expand UPI’s acceptance network overseas. However, the proposal has drawn attention because the Indian government banned Alipay and several other Chinese-linked apps in 2020 under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, citing national security concerns.
Scale and Open Questions: UPI processes nearly 18 billion transactions every month, making it one of the world’s largest real-time payment systems. As India expands the network internationally, questions remain around how future cross-border arrangements will address regulatory oversight, data governance and security concerns, particularly when partnerships involve platforms that have previously faced restrictions in India.
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