PHNOM PENH, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) on Wednesday announced the launch of the BAKONG Tourists app with VISA in order to make digital payments easier for foreign tourists while traveling in Cambodia.
International tourists traveling in Cambodia can now easily make digital payment transactions by simply downloading the BAKONG Tourists app on their smartphones and connecting it with their VISA payment cards, said an NBC news release.
Once connected, users can transfer funds from their VISA card accounts into their BAKONG accounts and make payments by scanning KHQR codes at approximately 4.5 million merchant locations across Cambodia, the news release said.
"The integration with VISA now allows users to link their VISA cards, enabling effortless fund transfers and cashless payments via KHQR codes," NBC's governor Chea Serey said during the launch event in Phnom Penh.
"This feature boosts efficiency, eliminates the need for cash, and enhances travel experience across Cambodia," she added.
Serey said the launch of the BAKONG Tourists app with VISA aligned with Cambodian government policies aimed at fostering a digital economy and an inclusive society.
"It strengthens Cambodia's position as a forward-thinking nation while offering international tourists a safer, more efficient way to explore our country," she said.
The NBC's BAKONG Tourists app, launched in August 2024, aims to simplify digital payments for international tourists and local businesses, the governor said.
She added that it empowers users with quick and easy account top-ups, seamless digital payments, and a user-friendly interface.
In November last year, the NBC also announced the launch of the BAKONG Tourists app with Mastercard. ■