# LaoQR

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/laoqr
> research date 2026-05-29 · extracted at 2026-10-06
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Bank of the Lao PDR](https://www.bol.gov.la/)
- [KHQR-LAOQR cross-border — Khmer Times](https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501345965/cambodia-laos-launch-khqr-laoqr-cross-border-payments/)
- [Phase 2 cross-border QR — Laotian Times](https://laotiantimes.com/2025/12/22/laos-cambodia-launch-phase-2-of-cross-border-qr-payments-allows-both-sides-to-scan/)

## Overview

**LaoQR** is **Laos' national QR-code payment standard**, promoted by **LAPNet** (Lao Payment Network) under guidance from the **Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL)** <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [Lao People's Democratic Republic report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)</sup>. LaoQR was initiated **late 2022** as part of broader Lao payment-modernisation, with the BoL coordinating implementation across Lao commercial banks. Currently **14 Lao banks participate** in the LAPNet/LaoQR network — including major players **BCEL** (Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao, state-owned), **ACLEDA Bank Lao**, **Kbank Lao** (Kasikorn), **BIC, APB, LVB, Indochina, JDB**, and others.

LaoQR's structural distinction: **cross-border integration with [KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr) (Cambodia) since August 2023** — a Lao-Cambodia cross-border QR payment system signed via MoU between the two central banks in 2022. **Phase 2 of cross-border QR launched December 2025**, enabling **both-sides scanning** (previously one-directional) <sup>[3][3]</sup>. Beyond Cambodia, LaoQR has expanded to **cross-border with Vietnam** — Vietnamese mobile-banking apps from **VietinBank, Sacombank, BIDV, Vietcombank, BVBank, Nam A Bank, TPBank** can scan LaoQR codes at LAPNet's 14-bank merchant network. UnionPay International is also accelerating QR-code-payment-network interconnection across Southeast Asia, with LaoQR as a participating standard. Together with [PromptPay QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/promptpay-qr), [DuitNow QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/duitnow-qr), [KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr), [Bhutan QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bhutan-qr), LaoQR exemplifies the **mainland-Southeast-Asia + South-Asia cross-border-QR mesh** that has emerged since 2021.

## History

**Background — Lao payment landscape** <sup>[Lao People's Democratic Republic report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)</sup>:
- **Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL)** — central bank.
- **LAPNet** (Lao Payment Network) — interbank payment infrastructure.
- Cash-dominant economy; growing mobile-banking penetration.

**2022 — BoL-NBC MoU for cross-border payments** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- BoL + NBC (National Bank of Cambodia) sign MoU in Phnom Penh.
- Cooperation in financial innovation + digital payment systems.

**Late 2022 — LaoQR national standard promoted** <sup>[1][1]</sup>:
- LAPNet initiates national QR-code standard under BoL guidance.

**August 2023 — Phase 1 KHQR-LaoQR cross-border launches** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- Lao-Cambodia cross-border QR payment system live.
- 8 Lao commercial banks participating initially: BCEL, ACLEDA Bank Lao, Kbank Lao, BIC, APB, LVB, Indochina, JDB.
- Users pay in local currencies (Lao kip and Khmer riel) via QR.

**Vietnam-Laos cross-border QR connectivity** [[vietnam-plus]]:
- Vietnamese banks (VietinBank, Sacombank, BIDV, Vietcombank, BVBank, Nam A Bank, TPBank) can scan LaoQR.
- Reciprocal Vietnam-side acceptance.

**14 Lao banks** <sup>[Lao People's Democratic Republic report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)</sup>:
- LAPNet network expands to 14 commercial banks.

**December 2025 — Phase 2 cross-border launches** <sup>[3][3]</sup>:
- Both-sides scanning enabled (previously one-directional only).
- Full bidirectional QR interoperability between Laos + Cambodia.

## Technical specification

LaoQR is **a BoL-coordinated LAPNet-operated national QR standard with regional cross-border integration** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>:

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Operator** | **LAPNet** (Lao Payment Network) |
| **Regulator** | **Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL)** |
| **Currency** | LAK (Lao kip) |
| **Participating banks** | 14 Lao commercial banks |
| **Cross-border partners** | **Cambodia ([KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr))**, **Vietnam** (multiple bank apps) |
| **Phase 1 KHQR-LaoQR** | August 2023 |
| **Phase 2 (bidirectional)** | December 2025 |
| **Regional integration** | **UnionPay International** SEA QR-network interconnection participant |

**Cross-border architecture** <sup>[2][2]</sup>:
- LaoQR + KHQR + reciprocal Vietnamese-bank participation.
- Local-currency settlement (LAK ↔ KHR ↔ VND).

## Use cases

**Domestic merchant payments** <sup>[1][1]</sup>: 14-bank merchant-acceptance network within Laos.

**Cross-border tourist payments from Cambodia** <sup>[2][2]</sup>: Cambodian visitors with KHQR-enabled wallets pay at Lao merchants.

**Cross-border tourist payments from Vietnam** [[vietnam-plus]]: Vietnamese tourists with participating-bank-app QR scanning at Lao merchants.

**Lao tourists in Cambodia/Vietnam** <sup>[3][3]</sup>: Reciprocal acceptance (since Dec 2025 Phase 2 bidirectional).

**P2P transfers** <sup>[Lao People's Democratic Republic report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)</sup>: Via LAPNet rails.

## Implementations & ecosystem

**Operator**: **LAPNet** (Lao Payment Network).

**Regulator**: **Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL)**.

**14 Lao banks**: BCEL (state, largest), ACLEDA Bank Lao, Kbank Lao (Kasikorn Thailand), BIC, APB, LVB, Indochina, JDB, plus others.

**Cross-border partners**:
- **NBC + ACLEDA + Cambodian banks** (KHQR/[KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr)).
- **Vietnamese banks**: VietinBank, Sacombank, BIDV, Vietcombank, BVBank, Nam A Bank, TPBank.

**UnionPay International**: SEA-wide QR-network interconnection participant.

## Fun facts

- **2022 BoL-NBC MoU was the foundation for KHQR-LaoQR cross-border**: A diplomatic-banking partnership that produced a real cross-border QR rail within a year (Aug 2023).
- **Lao kip ↔ Khmer riel local-currency settlement**: Both small emerging-market currencies; eliminates USD intermediation friction for Lao-Cambodia trade and tourism.
- **Phase 2 bidirectional (Dec 2025)**: Initial KHQR-LaoQR was one-directional; Phase 2 made it bidirectional. Illustrates the iterative deployment pattern for cross-border QR.
- **14 Lao banks**: Substantial coverage of Lao commercial banking.
- **Vietnamese-bank-app interop**: Tourist-payment value — Vietnamese visitors are major source of Lao tourism.
- **Joins the SEA cross-border QR mesh**: With [PromptPay QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/promptpay-qr) TH, [DuitNow QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/duitnow-qr) MY, [SGQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/sgqr)/PayNow SG, [KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr) KH, LaoQR, [TWQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/twqr) TW — SEA has effectively built a multilateral cross-border QR mesh.
- **UnionPay International role**: Chinese card-network UnionPay actively expanding SEA QR-network interconnection — making LaoQR more accessible to Chinese tourists' UnionPay-affiliated wallets.

## Comparison

| Feature | LaoQR | [KHQR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/khqr) KH | [PromptPay QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/promptpay-qr) TH | [DuitNow QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/duitnow-qr) MY | [Bhutan QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/bhutan-qr) BT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | LAPNet (BoL-coordinated) | NBC/ACLEDA | NITMX/ITMX | PayNet | RMA |
| Launch | Late 2022 | 2020 (atop Bakong) | 2017 | 2017/2019 | 2020 |
| Cross-border partners | **KH (Aug 2023), VN** | 6 countries | SG/MY/JP/VN/ID | SG/TH | India BHIM-UPI |
| Phase 2 bidirectional | Dec 2025 | n/a | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Population | Laos (~7.5M) | Cambodia (17M) | Thailand (70M) | Malaysia (33M) | Bhutan (770K) |

## Status

**Active, regionally-integrated** <sup>[1][1], [3][3]</sup>:
- **LAPNet + BoL** operators.
- **14 Lao banks**.
- **KHQR-LaoQR cross-border** (Aug 2023 Phase 1, Dec 2025 Phase 2 bidirectional).
- **Vietnamese-bank cross-border** participation.
- **UnionPay International** SEA network participant.

## Sources

[1]: https://www.bol.gov.la/ "Bank of the Lao PDR"
[2]: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/501345965/cambodia-laos-launch-khqr-laoqr-cross-border-payments/ "KHQR-LaoQR cross-border — Khmer Times"
[3]: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/12/22/laos-cambodia-launch-phase-2-of-cross-border-qr-payments-allows-both-sides-to-scan/ "Phase 2 cross-border QR — Laotian Times"
[vietnam-plus]: https://en.vietnamplus.vn/vietnam-laos-launch-cross-border-qr-code-payment-connectivity-post308142.vnp "Vietnam-Laos cross-border QR — Vietnam+"

- [1] [Bank of the Lao PDR][1]
- [2] [KHQR-LaoQR cross-border — Khmer Times][2]
- [3] [Phase 2 cross-border QR — Laotian Times][3]
- [vietnam-plus] [Vietnam-Laos cross-border][vietnam-plus]
- <sup>[Lao People's Democratic Republic report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)</sup> `reports/countries/LA-laos.md`

## Deployments

Found in the following country reports (grep across `reports/countries/`):

- **KH** — [KH-cambodia.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/KH)
- **LA** — [LA-laos.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/LA)
- **TH** — [TH-thailand.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/TH)