Kathmandu – In a significant milestone for regional digital payment interoperability, Nepal and Sri Lanka today officially launched cross-border QR payment connectivity, enabling Nepali travellers visiting Sri Lanka to make seamless digital payments using their domestic payment applications, including mobile banking apps and connectIPS, at more than 400,000 merchants accepting LankaQR across Sri Lanka.

The launch was formally announced at a special event held in Colombo in the presence of senior officials from the Nepal Rastra Bank, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, senior representatives from Nepal Clearing House Ltd. (NCHL), LankaPay, and participating banks and financial institutions from both countries. The initiative marks a major advancement in regional financial integration and digital payment connectivity between South Asian nations, further strengthening secure, real-time, and interoperable payment ecosystems.

Nepal and Sri Lanka share longstanding historical, cultural, and religious ties, supported by growing tourism and business exchanges between the two countries. The new cross-border QR payment arrangement is expected to significantly enhance the travel experience for tourists and business visitors by providing a convenient, secure, and cashless payment option without the hassle of physical currency exchange. The interoperability between the national payment infrastructures of Nepal and Sri Lanka also opens new opportunities for merchants, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, by enabling access to international customers through seamless digital acceptance.

Under this arrangement, Nepali users can make real-time payments in Sri Lanka by simply scanning LankaQR codes using participating payment applications from Nepal. Transactions are processed through regulated and secure payment infrastructure, ensuring convenience, safety, and efficiency for users and merchants alike. The service has been enabled first by Laxmi Sunrise Bank as an issuer Bank, such that in the initial phase, dollar cards/instruments issued by Laxmi Sunrise Bank can be linked to the connectIPS app and make QR payments in Sri Lanka. Eventually, other mobile banking apps will be enabled with this feature to make seamless payments while travelling to Sri Lanka.

The cross-border QR payment connectivity reflects the shared commitment of both countries to promote inclusive digital financial services, strengthen regional payment interoperability, and accelerate the adoption of modern payment systems. By linking the two national payment ecosystems, the initiative is expected to support tourism, trade, and people-to-people connectivity while contributing to the broader vision of regional digital cooperation.