Indonesian digital payments to expand to China, S Korea by 2026

Bank Indonesia plans to enable QRIS payments in China and South Korea starting in 2026.

QRIS is Indonesia’s standardized QR code system for digital payments.

Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta said both countries are now priorities for cross-border payment expansion, with ongoing talks expected to be completed next year.

QRIS is already available for use in Japan.

Bank Indonesia is also targeting similar partnerships with India.

Governor Perry Warjiyo said QRIS implementation in Saudi Arabia will take longer, as negotiations with local authorities are still underway.

🔗 Source: Kontan

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

QRIS cross-border expansion needs proof from existing partnerships

Bank Indonesia logged 24,121 inbound (transactions into Indonesia) QRIS payments totaling IDR 7.1 billion from Jan to Apr 2025 1. That equals about $450,000 and cross-border volume grew 225.54% year-on-year 1.
QRIS linked with Thailand in 2022 and Malaysia in 2023 2. QRIS added Singapore in 2023 and Japan in 2025 2. Bank Indonesia put total value for Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand at IDR 1.66 trillion by June 2025 2. Corridor data (i.e., by country pair) on volumes and merchant reach stays undisclosed beyond Malaysia’s inbound figures.
There is no clear evidence of QRIS use in Japan, the latest launch before China and South Korea. 2026 expansions may stall at symbolic partnerships with thin merchant acceptance.

Payment firms can capture Indonesian traveler spend before 2026 launch

Payment service providers (PSPs) and point-of-sale (POS) vendors in South Korea and China can move early on QRIS setup. Indonesians made 336,165 trips there in 2024 3 and spent $1,021 per visit 4. That totals about $343 million at top attractions 5.
Big merchants in busy tourist zones should add QRIS-ready terminals now. Indonesia has 56.3 million QRIS users 6 who pay by phone and may prefer the same tool abroad.
The 0% Merchant Discount Rate (MDR), the per-transaction fee businesses pay for digital payments, applies to micro-merchant (very small business) sales under IDR 100,000 ($6.25) 7. That fits street food and transit. Early QRIS acceptance could boost sales in those categories before the 2026 rollout.