In the presence of appropriate pH-gradient across an organic liquid membrane, selective up-hill transport of SCN- through the membrane was efficiently mediated by 6,6'-bis(4-hexylbenzoylamino)-2,2'-bipyridine upon complex formation with Cu(II), in which the metal center served as an SCN--selective binding site while pH-switched dissociation-association of the amide proton(s) of the ligand regulated uptake and release of SCN-.