Indonesia's QR payment launch in Japan, China starting Aug 17

Indonesia’s central bank, Bank Indonesia (BI), has announced that Indonesians will be able to use the QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) payment system in Japan and China starting August 17, 2025.

This date coincides with Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day.

The rollout in Japan depends on technical preparations, including sandbox trials with Japan’s payment authority.

“If there are no major obstacles, we can officially launch outbound QRIS on August 17,” said BI Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta.

In China, cooperation with UnionPay International and the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI) is progressing. Technical and operational agreements have been finalized.

Currently, cross-border QRIS is active in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

🔗 Source: Antara

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Indonesia’s QRIS expansion reflects broader ASEAN payment integration momentum

Indonesia’s move to extend QRIS to Japan and China builds on an established pattern of payment system integration within Southeast Asia that’s already proving successful.

QRIS has already been implemented for cross-border payments with Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, creating a connected payment ecosystem in the immediate region 1.

This integration follows the PromptPay-PayNow linkage between Thailand and Singapore, which enabled real-time, low-cost mobile payments using recipients’ phone numbers across borders 2.

The timing is strategic as digital payments across the six largest ASEAN economies reached $806 billion in 2022 and are forecast to grow to $1.2 trillion by 2025, creating substantial economic opportunities 2.

Bank Indonesia’s methodical approach, coordinating with payment authorities before proceeding to sandbox testing, reflects the careful implementation strategy that has made ASEAN’s payment integration initiatives successful despite regulatory complexity.

2️⃣ Indonesia’s digital payment transformation accelerated by standardization

The QRIS standard, launched in August 2019, has been a catalyst for Indonesia’s rapid shift from cash to digital payments, with demonstrable results in just a few years.