Pi Pay: a mobile-first payments platform for Cambodia

Pi Pay is a consumer e-wallet and merchant payment solution designed for Cambodia’s fast-growing digital economy. It combines everyday payments with lifestyle features in a single app, while giving merchants multiple acceptance options and a branded channel to reach local customers. The platform emphasizes security, regulatory oversight, and a straightforward merchant onboarding path, which makes it a practical choice for businesses that sell to Cambodian consumers in store or online.

What is Pi Pay

At its core, Pi Pay is a cashless payment platform built around a consumer app that connects shoppers and merchants in a simple, secure environment. The company positions itself as “Made in Cambodia” for Cambodian users, pairing payments with social features such as chat and friend discovery, plus a growing network of retail partners that offer promotions and loyalty rewards inside the app.

Where Pi Pay operates and who it serves

Pi Pay focuses on Cambodia. The app is designed to fit naturally into day-to-day life in the Kingdom, from buying coffee and movie tickets to dining, shopping, and discovering nearby places across its merchant network. This local focus benefits small and large retailers that want to accept a wallet Cambodian consumers already recognize and use.

Acceptance options for merchants

Pi Pay’s merchant proposition spans both in-store and online use cases.

• In-store acceptance. Merchants can use POS and mPOS to accept payments, which helps reduce cash handling risk and speed up reconciliation. The platform also supports real-time reporting so operators can monitor performance and adapt quickly.

• Online acceptance. Pi Pay offers payment gateways for commerce on websites and apps, enabling businesses to reach users beyond the point of sale with the same wallet experience customers know from the app.

• Merchant and partner portals. Dedicated sign-in areas for merchants and partners indicate operational tooling to manage accounts, which suits agencies, channel partners, and multi-location brands.

Marketing, loyalty, and customer reach

Inside the Pi Pay app, merchants can tap into in-app advertising, run joint promotions, and build loyalty programs that reward repeat purchases. For local brands, this makes Pi Pay both an acceptance method and a discovery channel that can drive footfall and frequency.

What customers can do with Pi Pay

For consumers, Pi Pay aims to make everyday transactions quick and convenient:

• Pay in store and online across a network of accepted merchants.

• Send and receive money with one-touch transfers.

• Top up mobiles and pay utility or internet bills directly in the app.

• Use lifestyle features such as chat, maps, and friend finder to stay connected and discover places nearby.

These app capabilities, combined with merchant promotions and loyalty, are designed to keep users engaged and to help businesses convert more often at checkout.

Security, compliance, and trust

Pi Pay highlights security and compliance as central to its operating model:

• Regulatory oversight. Pi Pay is licensed and regulated by the National Bank of Cambodia, which adds transparency and governance for both consumers and merchants.

• Bank partnership for funds handling. Client deposits and merchant settlement monies are handled through CIMB Bank, bringing standardized reconciliation practices.

• Industry certifications. Pi Pay states that its systems are PCI-DSS compliant, and that PCI and EMV controls apply wherever relevant.

• Data protection. Cardholder data is encrypted with 256-bit AES, with hardened servers, layered firewalls, and secure communication pathways. The company also cites dispute escalation and resolution processes.

For businesses, these controls reduce operational risk and help align with internal security standards required by finance or compliance teams.

Ecosystem connections and interoperability

Pi Pay connects with well-known financial institutions in Cambodia. For example, ABA Bank offers two-way transfers between its mobile app and the Pi Pay wallet, with defined limits and fees for those wallet-to-bank transactions. This kind of link can make it easier for users to move funds in and out of the wallet, which in turn can improve merchant conversion because customers can top up quickly.

Pi Pay’s policies also describe cash-in and cash-out through agents or partner banks, ATM access when a card is issued, and the ability to pay registered billers and retailers from within the app. These flows allow customers to keep the wallet funded and usable for everyday purchases.

How onboarding works for merchants

Pi Pay positions onboarding as lightweight and guided. The public flow shows three steps:

1. Sign up by completing a merchant assessment form.

2. Meet up with Pi Pay to confirm needs and finalize the setup.

3. Set up with the team’s help to go live and start accepting payments.

For larger brands and distributors, Pi Pay also describes a channel-partner track that adds in-app advertising, loyalty features, and new revenue streams from customer services such as cash-in or account upgrades.

Pricing and settlement notes

Pi Pay does not publish a universal merchant pricing table on its public website. Any commercial terms, settlement cycles, or hardware costs are typically handled during merchant onboarding or partner discussions. That said, Cambodian banks and service providers sometimes publish wallet transfer fees for consumer wallet-to-bank movements. ABA Bank, for example, lists its own fees and limits for transfers between ABA Mobile and Pi Pay, which apply to consumer transfers rather than merchant processing. These bank-app fees should not be read as Pi Pay’s merchant discount rates or gateway fees.

Why merchants in Cambodia choose Pi Pay

Local relevance with national reach. The app is designed for Cambodian consumers and already embedded in popular spending moments like dining, entertainment, and retail. This gives merchants a direct line to customers who are already familiar with the wallet.

Multiple acceptance modes. From POS and mPOS in store to an online payment gateway for websites and apps, Pi Pay covers key retail scenarios without forcing a single integration path.

Built-in demand generation. In-app promotions and loyalty programs let businesses engage customers inside the payment experience, not just at the point of sale.

Security and compliance posture. PCI-DSS and EMV controls, AES-256 encryption, and banking oversight help enterprises meet internal risk requirements while protecting cardholder and transaction data.

Best-fit use cases

• Hospitality, food and beverage, and retail chains that want a popular local wallet and a way to run promotions that drive repeat visits.

• Ecommerce brands targeting Cambodian buyers that need a familiar wallet option at checkout via a payment gateway.

• Billers and services that benefit from in-app payments, top-ups, and recurring utility or internet bill settlement.

Conclusion

If your business sells to Cambodian customers, Pi Pay offers a locally trusted way to accept digital payments, both in store and online, with marketing and loyalty capabilities built into the same experience. The typical next step is to submit a merchant assessment and work with Pi Pay’s team to tailor the setup to your locations and channels. For distributors and multi-brand portfolios, the channel-partner program can extend reach and open additional revenue lines through value-added services.