UPI goes live at 4.5M KHQR merchants in Cambodia, opening tourist payment corridor

RBI and NPCI International activated UPI acceptance across Cambodia's KHQR network on June 2, 2026, letting Indian travellers pay 4.5 million local merchants via UPI apps. Phase two will reciprocate, enabling Cambodian visitors to pay UPI merchants in India — extending India's retail payment rail into ASEAN tourism flows.

— Source publishedThu, 4 Jun, 2026, 05:44 IST·First seen Thu, 4 Jun, 2026, 11:31 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

RBI and NPCI International went live with UPI acceptance at KHQR merchants in Cambodia, enabling Indian travellers to pay 4.5 million Cambodian merchants via

Key facts

  • June 02 2026 go-live
  • 4.5 million KHQR merchants

Why this matters

Scout partnerships with Cambodian acquirers, FX aggregators, and travel platforms ahead of phase two reciprocity—the corridor opens a two-year window to lock distribution before regional wallets and Visa/Mastercard rails respond.