Cambodia's digital finance sector continues to develop, with mobile payments and cross-border QR code payments gradually becoming integral to daily life and commercial activity. The National Bank of Cambodia is enhancing digital infrastructure, improving payment efficiency, and strengthening cybersecurity and financial risk prevention.
The Bakong payment system, launched by the National Bank of Cambodia, has become a key piece of digital payment infrastructure in the country. Together with the KHQR unified QR code standard, it allows consumers to make payments through different participating institutions while making merchant transactions more convenient.
As of 2025, Cambodia's cross-border QR code payment system had been interconnected with nine countries, including China, India, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. It had also connected to international payment networks such as UnionPay and Alipay+, providing greater convenience for tourist spending and cross-border business transactions.
According to the National Bank of Cambodia's 2025 report, the Bakong system recorded 1.3 billion transactions for the year, an increase of 118.7% year on year. Total transaction value rose by 52.2% to 899.1 trillion riels. Riel-denominated transactions accounted for 58.2% of total transaction volume, helping promote the use of the local currency.
Industry representatives said digital payments can reduce cash transactions and currency exchange costs, help small and medium-sized enterprises improve financial management and track transaction records, and increase access to formal financial services.
Looking ahead, the National Bank of Cambodia will continue advancing fintech development, improving electronic identification and cybersecurity measures, expanding digital payment coverage, and protecting users' funds and information security to further drive the digital economy.
