Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Indian Traveller’s Failed UPI Payment Highlights Overseas Reliability Concerns
An Indian traveller tried to pay with UPI through Google Pay at an airport in Singapore.
The payment did not finish because the app could not get a conversion rate.
The cashier had warned him that UPI often failed there.
The traveller said people should carry payment cards when travelling abroad.
Some people online said exchange rates could make UPI less useful outside India.
Others complained that Indian cards and contactless payments can also be difficult to use overseas.
Some users said UPI failed for them in Sri Lanka.
But other users said it worked every time in France or at duty-free shops.
This means UPI may work in some foreign stores but not reliably everywhere.
Nikhil George said a UPI payment through Google Pay stalled at The Cocoa Trees in Singapore Changi Airport.
The app displayed an error saying it could not get the conversion rate and asked him to scan again.
George said UPI’s real-world reliability abroad did not yet match claims that the system was going global.
Other users cited exchange rates, card restrictions and merchant configuration as barriers to overseas payments.
Some users reported UPI failures in Sri Lanka, while others said it worked successfully in France and at duty-free shops.
- Who
- Indian traveller Nikhil George and other social-media users discussing overseas UPI payments.
- What
- A UPI payment made through Google Pay failed at a Singapore airport merchant, prompting debate about international reliability.
- When
- The date of the incident is not specified in the articles.
- Where
- The Cocoa Trees at Singapore Changi Airport, with users also discussing experiences in France and Sri Lanka.
- Why
- The payment failed when the app could not obtain a conversion rate, raising questions about merchant configurations and the reliability of UPI abroad.
Reliability Concerns
Reported Overseas Successes
Whether UPI works consistently abroad
Reliability Concerns
George and several users said UPI failed or remained unreliable overseas, citing the Singapore incident, failures in Sri Lanka and other payment barriers.
Reported Overseas Successes
Other users said a failure at one merchant did not represent the entire system, reporting successful UPI payments every time in France and at duty-free shops.
Cause of payment problems
Reliability Concerns
Users attributed difficulties to weak transaction rails, exchange rates, Indian-card restrictions and apps requiring continuous authentication.
Reported Overseas Successes
One user suggested the Singapore failure was most likely a merchant configuration error rather than a general failure of UPI.
- Traveller
- Nikhil George
- Payment method
- UPI through Google Pay
- Merchant
- The Cocoa Trees
- Location of failed payment
- Singapore Changi Airport
- Error message
- “Could not get conversion rate. Try scanning again”
- Reported successful locations
- France and some duty-free shops
- Reported failed location
- Several places in Sri Lanka, according to one user