NPCI International enables UPI payments for Indian tourists in Sri Lanka
Creates a digital payment acceptance channel for Indian tourists at participating Sri Lankan merchants, reducing reliance on cash and shifting point-of-sale acceptance toward UPI-enabled mobile account-to-account transfers.
Change
NPCI International enabled Indian visitors to pay using Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in Sri Lanka by expanding LankaQR merchant acceptance at outlets including Cinnamon Hotels, Taj Hotels, Barista, Keells Supermarket and Odel.
Why it matters
Sri Lankan merchants and tourism operators now face a customer expectation to accept UPI-based LankaQR payments at point of sale. Merchants that do not enable LankaQR will continue to rely on cash-handling processes and risk slower, less familiar checkout experiences for Indian visitors.
Implications
- — Hotel and retail merchants' payments teams in Sri Lanka must enable LankaQR acceptance with their acquirer or point-of-sale provider to accept UPI from Indian visitors — without it they will be unable to process UPI transactions.
- — Sri Lankan merchant acquirers and payment service providers' integration teams must connect their systems with NPCI International Payments Limited and LankaPay to route UPI transactions for merchant clients — failure to integrate will block merchants from receiving UPI payments.
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