AnyTime News 
Indian Travelers Can Now Scan KHQR Across 4.5 Million Merchant Outlets In Cambodia
By Pooja Shrivastava, Any Time News Network
In a historic milestone that showcases India’s dominance in the global digital infrastructure grid, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has officially gone live in Cambodia. Under the absolute stewardship of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Bank of Cambodia, the connectivity between the fast payment networks of both nations was formally launched on June 2, 2026, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Authored via an official press communique by RBI Chief General Manager Brij Raj, this marks the operational rollout of the first phase of strategic collaboration between NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Cambodia’s Acleda Bank Plc.
This high-profile launch is strictly aligned with the prestigious G20 Roadmap for enhancing cross-border payments, prioritizing cheaper, transparent, safer, and highly accessible financial integration across international borders.
Eliminating Cash & Plastic Cards: Real-Time P2M Transactions Activated
The technical interlinking introduces a friction-free ecosystem for Indian globetrotters, cutting out heavy processing fees attached to traditional international credit/debit cards.
Massive Merchant Footprint: Indian tourists and business travelers visiting Cambodia can now execute direct, secure, and real-time physical payments to over 4.5 million merchants across the country.
KHQR Interoperability: By utilizing their existing domestic UPI applications, users can instantly scan KHQR (Cambodia’s national standardized QR code network) for Person-to-Merchant (P2M) retail transactions, drastically minimizing dependence on physical currency exchange.
Phase Two Deployment to Power Cambodian Tourists in India Soon
The central bank confirmed that this rollout forms the initial component of a multi-tiered financial pact. While Phase 1 ensures outbound convenience for Indian retail consumers, Phase 2 will follow subsequently to extend reciprocal privileges. In the upcoming leg, Cambodian travelers arriving in India will be fully enabled to scan Indian UPI QR codes for seamless merchant payments. This landmark bilateral mechanism is heavily tipped by trade experts to substantially boost leisure and cultural tourism between India and Cambodia while consolidating the global expansion footprint of India’s indigenous fintech stack.
