Travelling to Sri Lanka? Indian tourists can now save 20% on PickMe rides with UPI payments - The Economic Times

Indian tourists travelling to Sri Lanka can get a flat 20% discount on every PickMe ride, up to LKR 750, when they pay through UPI, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) said on Tuesday. The offer is part of an initiative to encourage Indian travellers to use UPI for local transport while reducing their dependence on cash and currency exchange.The offer comes as India remains Sri Lanka’s largest source market for tourism. More than 531,000 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2025. UPI is already accepted at several locations across the country, including tourist attractions, pilgrimage sites, shopping centres, transport services, cafes and restaurants that accept LankaQR.Also Read: Moving to Australia? Indians are sorting money before packing bagsThe latest initiative extends UPI payments to ride-hailing, a regular travel expense for tourists. PickMe is Sri Lanka’s largest ride-hailing platform and serves more than 1.9 million unique users. It operates across major cities and tourist destinations and also provides airport transfers.Indian travellers can use UPI for PickMe payments after activating the UPI Global or UPI International service for an eligible bank account through their UPI-enabled application. Once activated, they can make UPI payments at supported merchants during their stay in Sri Lanka.Also Read: Maldives launches Favara-UPI payment service with IndiaAccording to NIPL, UPI payments allow travellers to make secure, real-time payments directly from their Indian bank accounts. The initiative is aimed at adding UPI to everyday travel payments and making local mobility more convenient for Indian visitors.NIPL said the wider acceptance of UPI across Sri Lanka is also helping strengthen digital payment connectivity between the two countries.