UPI set to gain acceptance across Uzbekistan through HUMO network
NPCI International Payments Ltd has partnered with Uzbekistan’s National Interbank Processing Centre to enable UPI payments for Indian travellers at merchants using the UZQR national QR code, subject to approvals and commercial execution.
What happened
UPI will be accepted across Uzbekistan through NIPL’s partnership with NIPC/HUMO, allowing Indian travellers to make merchant payments by scanning the UZQR
Key facts
- 11th country
- 10 countries previously accepting UPI
- August 30, 2026
Why this matters
The HUMO-NPCI tie-up highlights an opportunity for payment networks, acquirers and travel-commerce players to pursue interoperable QR partnerships in Indian outbound travel corridors.
What to watch
- Formal launch date and confirmation of approval from relevant Indian and Uzbek authorities.
- Named Indian UPI apps, Uzbek acquiring banks and merchant categories available at launch.
- Whether transactions support dynamic currency conversion, INR debiting, UZS merchant settlement and transparent exchange-rate disclosure.
- Initial merchant coverage beyond Tashkent and tourism hubs.
- Published transaction limits, fees, refund handling, dispute rules and offline/low-connectivity QR capability.
- Evidence of reciprocal Uzbekistan-to-India payment acceptance or broader Central Asian UPI corridor announcements.
- NPCI International and HUMO finalize regulatory approvals, commercial terms, FX conversion and settlement workflows.
- Indian UPI apps add Uzbekistan/U ZQR payment discovery, merchant-location messaging and customer support for failed cross-border transactions.
- HUMO and acquiring banks target onboarding and signage for hotels, restaurants, transport, tourism operators and airport merchants.
- Uzbekistani banks and fintechs assess reciprocal payment products for local users travelling to India.
- Card networks, wallet providers and FX firms respond with lower-cost traveller products, bundled travel offers or QR interoperability partnerships.