# Lao People's Democratic Republic — payment codes and schemes

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA
> extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

## Summary

- **LaoQR** is the national QR payment standard
- **LAPNet** (Lao National Payment Network) operates infrastructure
- **Cross-border QR** with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China
- **BCEL** dominates digital banking with EZyKip for tourists
- **ASEAN RPC** connectivity initiative member

## Banking landscape

### Central Bank
- **Name:** Bank of Lao PDR (BOL)
- **Website:** https://www.bol.gov.la/
- **Role:** Monetary policy, payment systems oversight

### Major Banks (2024)

| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|------|-----------|------|------------------|
| 1 | BCEL | State-owned | BCEL One App |
| 2 | Lao Development Bank | State-owned | LDB Mobile |
| 3 | ACLEDA Bank Lao | Private | ACLEDA App |
| 4 | Kasikornbank Lao | Private | K-Pay Lao |
| 5 | JDB Bank | Private | JDB Mobile |

### Market Structure
- **BCEL:** Dominant digital banking player
- **LAPNet:** National payment network operator
- **Seven banks:** QR interoperability active
- **ASEAN:** Regional payment connectivity

---

## Payment infrastructure

### National Payment Systems

| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|--------|----------|------|--------|
| LaoQR | LAPNet | QR Standard | Active |
| LAPNet | BOL | Payment network | Active |
| BCEL Gateway | BCEL | Merchant | Active |

### LAPNet Role
- Lao National Payment Network
- Cross-border settlement operator
- QR interoperability infrastructure
- Bank of Lao PDR supervised

### Cross-Border QR Active

| Country | System | Launch |
|---------|--------|--------|
| Thailand | PromptPay | April 2024 |
| Vietnam | VietQR | Active |
| Cambodia | KHQR | December 2025 (Phase 2) |
| China | UnionPay | December 2024 |

---

## QR code standards

### LaoQR (National Standard)

| Attribute | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| **Standard** | LaoQR |
| **Operator** | LAPNet |
| **Banks** | 7+ participating |
| **Cross-border** | 4 countries active |

### LaoQR Features
- National interoperable QR standard
- Merchant-presented QR codes
- Real-time settlement via LAPNet
- Cross-border connectivity

### Thailand-Laos QR (April 2024)
- **Phase 1 (April 2024):** Lao users scan Thai PromptPay QR in Thailand
- **Phase 2 (June 2024):** Thai users scan LaoQR in Laos
- **Operators:** NITMX (Thailand), LAPNet (Laos)
- **Settlement banks:** Kasikornbank (TH), BCEL (LA)

### Vietnam Cross-Border
- Seven Vietnamese banks enabled
- Vietinbank, BIDV, Vietcombank, Sacombank, TPBank, BVBank, Nam A Bank
- Scan LaoQR codes in Laos
- Greater Mekong Subregion initiative

### Cambodia-Laos (December 2025)
- KHQR scan LAOQR system
- Eight commercial banks in Laos
- BCEL, ACLEDA Bank Lao, Kbank Lao, BIC, APB, LVB, Indochina, JDB
- Bidirectional scanning

---

## Mobile payment apps

| App | Provider | LaoQR | Features |
|-----|----------|-------|----------|
| BCEL One | BCEL | Yes | Full banking |
| EZyKip | BCEL | Yes | Tourist app |
| ACLEDA App | ACLEDA | Yes | Banking |
| K-Pay Lao | Kasikornbank | Yes | Mobile payments |

### BCEL Digital Services
- BCEL One app for residents
- EZyKip for foreign tourists (Visit Laos Year 2024)
- 400+ BCEL ATMs with QR withdrawal
- Online payment gateway

### EZyKip Tourist App
- Designed for foreign visitors
- QR code ATM withdrawals
- 0% fee at BCEL ATMs
- Visit Laos Year 2024 initiative

---

## Schemes

| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [LaoQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA/laoqr) | National QR | LAPNet | 7+ banks | [`laoqr`](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/laoqr) |
| [Cross-border](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA/cross-border) | International | ASEAN | 4 countries | — |
| [UnionPay](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA/unionpay) | Card/QR | UPI | Active | — |

## Sources

- [BOT - Thailand-Laos QR Launch](https://www.bot.or.th/en/news-and-media/news/news-20240403.html)
- [GMS - Laos Vietnam QR](https://greatermekong.org/g/laos-viet-nam-launch-cross-border-qr-code-payment-system)
- [Laotian Times - BCEL Tourist App](https://laotiantimes.com/2024/02/02/bcel-launches-new-payment-app-for-tourists-during-visit-laos-year-2024/)
- [Laotian Times - Cambodia Phase 2](https://laotiantimes.com/2025/12/22/laos-cambodia-launch-phase-2-of-cross-border-qr-payments-allows-both-sides-to-scan/)
- [Vietnam News - Seven Banks QR](https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1690482/seven-banks-allow-customers-to-pay-by-qr-codes-in-laos.html)
- [UnionPay - Laos QR](https://www.unionpayintl.com/en/mediaCenter/newsCenter/companyNews/5474.shtml)
- [B2B Cambodia - Cross-Border Overview](https://www.b2b-cambodia.com/news/overview-of-cambodias-cross-border-qr-payments-with-vietnam-thailand-laos-china/)
- [Fintech Times - Laos Landscape](https://thefintechtimes.com/fintech-landscape-of-laos-in-2024/)
- [BCEL - Online Payment](https://www.bcel.com.la/bcel/product-review.html?prd=e-banking&id=online-payment&lang=en)
- [EPI - UPI BCEL](https://www.electronicpaymentsinternational.com/news/upi-partners-bcel-to-introduce-qr-code-payment-service-in-laos/)

## Full country report

[LA-laos.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)