UPI to reach Uzbekistan through HUMO’s merchant QR network
NPCI International Payments and Uzbekistan’s HUMO have agreed to let Indian travellers pay Uzbek merchants by scanning UZQR codes with UPI apps. Regulatory approvals are in place, but rollout timing, participating apps and banks, transaction limits, and fees have not been disclosed.
What happened
NPCI International Payments and Uzbekistan’s HUMO agreed to enable Indian travellers to pay Uzbek merchants by scanning UZQR codes with UPI apps. RBI and
Key facts
- Agreement signed on August 30
- UPI accepted in 10 countries before Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan will be the 11th country
- HUMO is connected to 35 local banks
- HUMO is connected to 42 non-bank financial institutions
Why this matters
The NPCI International-HUMO agreement shows how local QR-network partnerships can accelerate UPI expansion into new corridors without requiring a standalone merchant-acquiring buildout.
What to watch
- Named launch date and pilot geography.
- List of enabled UPI apps, Indian issuer banks and Uzbek acquiring institutions.
- Published consumer FX spread, merchant fees, transaction limits and refund/dispute rules.
- Merchant acceptance density in Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, airports, rail stations and tourist corridors.
- Evidence of reciprocal HUMO-card or Uzbek-wallet acceptance in India.
- Monthly transaction count, ticket size, payment-success rates and cash-to-UPI substitution among Indian travellers.
- New NPCI International agreements in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan or other Central Asian markets.
- NPCI International and HUMO publish launch date, participating UPI apps and issuing-bank eligibility.
- HUMO member banks and acquirers prioritize UZQR activation at tourism-heavy merchants and train merchants on UPI payment confirmation and refunds.
- Indian travel platforms, airlines, FX providers and banks bundle UPI usability into Uzbekistan travel messaging and offers.
- Payment providers establish FX rates, fee disclosure, transaction caps, settlement cycles, chargeback handling and customer-support ownership.
- Competitor networks monitor early merchant and traveller volume to assess whether to pursue QR interoperability or acceptance partnerships in Central Asia.