Bank Indonesia announced plans to expand its Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) digital payment system to India and Saudi Arabia, following successful cross-border implementation in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and most recently Japan in August 2025, as Governor Perry Warjiyo revealed during a meeting with House of Representatives Commission XI on November 13.
The central bank is simultaneously negotiating partnerships with South Korea and China to integrate QRIS into their payment ecosystems, with Bank Indonesia Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta projecting that South Korean merchants could begin accepting QRIS payments by the first half of 2026, while China integration is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
Perry Warjiyo emphasized during the Indonesia Digital Economy Festival that QRIS expansion represents both Indonesia's payment sovereignty and its competence in operating cross-border transactions, positioning the homegrown payment system as a globally competitive alternative that reduces reliance on traditional dollar-denominated payment networks.
The digital payment platform has achieved remarkable domestic adoption, recording 10.33 billion transactions by September 2025—surpassing the initial target by 158 percent—while serving 58 million users and 41 million merchants across Indonesia, with micro, small, and medium enterprises comprising 90 percent of participating merchants according to Filianingsih.
Total digital payment transactions in Indonesia reached 12.99 billion in the third quarter of 2025, representing year-on-year growth of 38.08 percent, while QRIS transactions alone surged by 147.65 percent, reflecting strong momentum in adoption rates that Bank Indonesia aims to leverage as it continues building international payment corridors with strategic partners across Asia and the Middle East.
