Build a provider-specific fee comparison instead of assuming one national KHQR tariff. Separate transfer amount, account balance, daily allowance, cash handling and currency conversion.
Define the transaction before comparing
A useful fee comparison starts with an exact action: paying a merchant, sending to another bank, moving funds to a wallet, topping up with cash or withdrawing. The Bakong and KHQR overview establishes interoperability, not a universal retail tariff. Write down the sending institution, receiving institution, account category, currency, amount and channel. A free incoming transfer says nothing by itself about the sender’s charge. A wallet balance ceiling also differs from the maximum value of a single transfer or total transfers during a day.
One clearly labelled bank example
On the ABA Bakong transfer page checked on 23 October 2026, the interbank section states an outgoing ceiling of KHR 240,000,000 or USD 60,000 per transaction and per day, and no charge for incoming transfers from other Bakong member banks. These are ABA-published conditions for that route, not limits for every Cambodian app. The same page contains older wallet instructions and a later note about ABA no longer being selectable as a home bank in the Bakong app. Do not combine those paragraphs into a new-customer promise. Confirm the current route inside your account.
Comparison sheet
| Field | Meaning | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction ceiling | Maximum for one operation | Does this route have a separate cap? |
| Daily allowance | Combined activity in the stated day | Which operations share the allowance? |
| Monthly allowance | Cumulative activity over the stated period | Calendar month or rolling period? |
| Wallet balance | Amount allowed to remain in the wallet | Does receiving money exceed it? |
| Cash-in/cash-out | Agent, counter or ATM operation | Is a separate handling fee charged? |
| Currency conversion | One currency exchanged for another | What rate and total debit appear? |
Currency can change the comparison
ABA’s QR documentation shows a dual-currency receiving arrangement. This does not mean a KHR payment and a USD payment are economically identical. Ask which currency the invoice requires and which account will be debited. Where conversion is offered, compare the total amount debited with the amount the recipient will receive, including disclosed fees. Do not publish a fixed exchange rate as permanent. If a merchant quotes two prices, compare them using a clearly dated rate and the actual payment conditions rather than assuming a round conversion.A calculation without invented tariffs
Suppose a provider’s confirmation shows a payment of 100 units plus a fee of 1 unit in the same currency. The total debit is 101 units; the effective explicit fee is 1% of the payment. This is a synthetic arithmetic example, not a Cambodian tariff. If conversion is involved, an explicit zero fee does not establish zero economic cost: the displayed exchange rate still affects the amount received. Keep the comparison at the same transaction size and time. Include a cash withdrawal only when it is part of the route you actually intend to use.
Practical review checklist
- Date the tariff and identify its provider and account tier.
- Separate bank-to-bank, merchant, wallet, cash and cross-border routes.
- Check daily and monthly combined allowances, not just the headline cap.
- Read the account-specific confirmation before approving.
- Retain a receipt and record any difference from the published charge.
- Ask official support to resolve conflicting terms rather than choosing the lowest number.
Do not respond to a limit problem by renting another person’s account or dividing transactions to defeat controls. An account may apply lower operational limits than a public maximum. If a service is unavailable for your identity category, a fee row elsewhere on the website does not make you eligible.
Example: available balance is not remaining allowance
Assume, purely for illustration, that an account has120units available but a remaining daily transfer allowance of80units. A proposed100unit transfer may exceed the allowance even though the balance is sufficient. A provider might also count several transfer categories together. Asking only “what is my balance?” would therefore miss the relevant restriction. Write down the remaining allowance shown by the app and ask which period and transaction categories it covers. Do not infer a national rule from this example: the figures are invented to explain the distinction. If an essential payment exceeds a legitimate control, discuss an authorised alternative with the institution rather than attempting to circumvent the limit.
Frequently asked questions
Are the ABA numbers national KHQR limits?
No. They are a dated example from one bank’s interbank Bakong documentation.
Does a zero transfer fee remove exchange-rate cost?
No. When currencies differ, examine the total debit, recipient amount and displayed rate as well as the fee.
Why does my account show a lower limit?
Account category, customer verification, settings, route and security controls can impose a lower usable limit than a public maximum.
Sources and verification
- Bakong and KHQR overview — National Bank of Cambodia — 2026-10-23
- Bakong–ABA transfers — ABA Bank — 2026-10-23
- ABA QR dual-currency code — ABA Bank — 2026-10-23