Digital payment convenience is becoming increasingly evident for international visitors traveling to Indonesia. This is reflected in the strong growth of cross-border QRIS transactions entering the country.
Bank Indonesia recorded 17.8 million inbound cross-border QRIS transactions by 2026, with a total value reaching Rp6.2 trillion, primarily driven by foreign tourists visiting Indonesia.
According to Filianingsih Hendarta, Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, the high transaction volume demonstrates the growing adoption of cross-border digital payment connectivity.
Tourists from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China are among the users of the payment service while traveling in Indonesia.
“We are seeing a net inbound trend, meaning we receive a significant volume of payments from tourists visiting Indonesia, far exceeding the spending of Indonesian travelers when they visit those partner countries,” Filianingsih said during a digital finance discussion forum on Sept. 27.
Meanwhile, outbound cross-border QRIS transactions from Indonesia to partner countries reached around 5 million transactions, with a total value of Rp1.85 trillion. As a result, inbound transaction values were more than three times higher than outbound transactions.
New MoU with Hong Kong and Timor Leste
Bank Indonesia also reported continued expansion of the domestic QRIS ecosystem. By 2026, QRIS had been adopted by 69.3 million users and nearly 46 million merchants nationwide.
The growth has enabled businesses of all sizes, from large enterprises to micro and small businesses, to benefit from digital payment transactions.
Currently, Cross-Border QRIS connectivity covers six partner countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and China. Bank Indonesia is also expanding the network through new partnerships, including new MoU with Hong Kong and Timor-Leste.
According to Bank Indonesia, the current Cross-Border QRIS corridors account for only about 39.77% of international tourist arrivals to Indonesia. This means that roughly 60% of foreign visitors still come from countries that are not yet connected to the system.
The expansion of Cross-Border QRIS is expected not only to make transactions more convenient for travelers but also to boost tourist spending, broaden market access for MSMEs, and support foreign exchange earnings.
As a result, payment digitalization is becoming an increasingly important bridge between Indonesia’s tourism sector and the global economy.
