UPI not working abroad: Indian traveller shares frustration over GPay not functioning in Singapore; netizens react

Users express frustrations with Indian payment cards abroad, citing issues with Apple Pay and UPI transaction failures, especially in Sri Lanka and Singapore. 

An X user, Nikhil George, shared his UPI experience on social media. He tried to complete the transaction at Singapore Changi Airport.

Nikhil tried paying at The Cocoa Trees at the airport. The cashier warned him that it might not work. But he insisted on trying it anyway.

“The cashier warned me upfront that it almost never works, but I insisted on trying. Scanned the QR using GPay and it just stalled…” he wrote.

“Could not get conversion rate. Try scanning again,” the UPI app said.

The X user noted that, amid news about India’s UPI going global, ground reliability abroad remained weak.

“Despite all the headlines about UPI going global, ground-level reliability abroad still has a long way to go. Keep your cards handy,” he added.

Social media reactions

This post attracted many reactions from other users. According to one of them, exchange rates kill such systems anyway.

“Even if it works, the exchange rate kills it. UPI abroad and ONDC are both DOA products,” the user wrote.

Nikhil replied that the transaction rails would need to be fixed first. Forex rates can be addressed later for sustainability.

Other users shared their own tax refund questions. One asked about GPay working on international booking websites. Nikhil clarified that those sites mostly used international cards, not UPI directly.

“I think PhonePe is the most successful one for international UPI,” stated another user. In response, Nikhil said that he’d try the UPI app next time.

“It’s GAS like always, no substance. We beat our chest about it being global… It's domestic with TAX from 15th Oct,” wrote one user

One user complained that Indian cards were causing problems abroad.

“Not to mention, using an Indian card abroad is a nightmare. You can’t use Apple Pay, and contactless payments don’t work for amounts above $50. A lot of apps also reject the card because they require continuous authentication,” the user wrote.

One user wrote that he had “tried this (UPI) in a couple of places in Sri Lanka”. “Failed everywhere,” he added.

‘It works’

One user disagreed, saying failure at one merchant didn't mean total failure everywhere. He said UPI worked every single time in France for him.

“I have used it in France, and it worked every single time. This is most likely a merchant configuration error,” he added.

One user shared that his colleagues had used UPI successfully at duty-free shops.

“It works. Colleagues used their UPI to buy alcohol at a duty-free rate and also secured an additional discount for UPI transactions. Not sure why you encountered an issue,” the user wrote.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.

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