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GPay Fails at Singapore Airport: Indian Traveler Questions UPI Reliability Abroad
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News18•01-10-2026, 14:30
GPay Fails at Singapore Airport: Indian Traveler Questions UPI Reliability Abroad
- •An Indian traveler, Nikhil George, experienced a failed Google Pay transaction at The Cocoa Trees in Singapore's Changi Airport, raising concerns about UPI's international dependability.
- •The GPay app displayed an error related to currency conversion, despite the cashier's prior warning that such payments often fail.
- •George's experience contradicts claims of UPI's global expansion, highlighting that ground-level reliability abroad still needs significant improvement.
- •The incident underscores the importance for international travelers to carry backup payment methods like debit or credit cards.
- •User responses to George's post were mixed, with some reporting similar failures and others successful international UPI transactions, while some noted issues with exchange rates or Indian bank cards abroad.
Key Questions Answered
The Google Pay transaction stalled while attempting to pay at The Cocoa Trees store and displayed an error message stating, "Could not get conversion rate. Try scanning again."
According to government data, Indian travellers can make UPI merchant payments in nine countries including Singapore, Bhutan, France, Mauritius, Nepal, Qatar, Sri Lanka, the UAE, and Cambodia.
Google Pay's UPI International facility remains active for seven days at a time and can be activated again when needed.
