An Indian traveller visiting Singapore has shared his frustrating experience of trying to pay using Google Pay (GPay) at Changi Airport. Despite the growing reach of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the transaction failed, leaving him questioning how reliably the payment system works overseas.
The post was shared by X user Nikhil George, who described his experience of attempting a UPI transaction at The Cocoa Trees in Singapore’s Changi Airport. The cashier warned me upfront that it almost never works, but I insisted on trying. Scanned the QR using GPay and it just stalled and threw: ‘Could not get conversion rate. Keep your cards handy.” (Also Read: ‘Smit Machchhar is a talented, soft-spoken, good man’: Ex-neighbour in Mumbai recalls pilot who saved lives in flydubai attack ) His experience also raised questions about how reliably UPI works outside India. they may not work at every merchant or location While international UPI payments give Indian travellers another way to pay. For travellers, a failed payment can mean having to rely on a debit or credit card, or keep some cash handy as a backup. Take a look:
Try scanning again.'” He added, “Despite all the headlines about UPI going global, ground-level reliability abroad still has a long way to go. In the caption, he wrote, “Tried paying with UPI at The Cocoa Trees in Changi Airport today.
You can’t use Apple Pay, and contactless payments don’t work for amounts above $50. However, not everyone reported problems. Because they require continuous authentication,” a comment read, a lot of apps also reject the card.
The post drew mixed reactions, with some users raising concerns about exchange rates and payment failures, while others shared positive experiences with international UPI transactions. “Even if it works, the exchange rate kills it. UPI abroad and ONDC are both DOA products,” one user commented. Another person pointed out that GPay worked for them on international booking websites, writing, “International booking sites have GPay. On the web, it works. Some users also discussed the challenges of using Indian bank cards overseas. “Not to mention, using an Indian card abroad is a nightmare. Others shared different experiences with UPI payments outside India. Failed everywhere. “Worked for me in two countries so far. It’s very good,” another user commented. (Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
“I think PhonePe is the most successful one for international UPI,” one user wrote. (Also Read: ‘Captain Smit Machchhar is a hero’: Internet joins PMs Modi, Netanyahu to praise Indian pilot after flydubai cockpit attack ) Another recalled trying the service in Sri Lanka, saying, “Had tried this in a couple of places in Sri Lanka.
