Bank Indonesia (BI) has announced that Indonesians will be able to use the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) for payments in Japan and China starting 17 August 2025, as reported by Antara.
Preparations for the rollout in Japan are progressing, with BI having agreed on key technical steps with Japanese payment system authorities.
Sandbox testing is set to begin in mid-May, and if no major obstacles arise, the outbound QRIS feature will be officially launched on Indonesia’s Independence Day.
In China, QRIS implementation is also moving forward. UnionPay International and the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI) have agreed to finalise the necessary business, technical, and operational frameworks.
Four Indonesian switching service providers—Rintis, Alto, Artajasa, and Jalin—have signed agreements with UnionPay to support system development, with sandbox trials expected to begin around mid-August, depending on final preparations.
Beyond Japan and China, BI is pursuing similar cross-border QRIS collaborations with several other countries.
Discussions with India’s NPCI International remain at the technical coordination stage, while cooperation with South Korea is currently under industry-level review, led by ASPI and the Korean Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute.
Talks have also been initiated with Saudi Arabia. BI is engaging with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority to support digital payment adoption for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, particularly from Indonesia.
Intensive discussions with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah are scheduled for later this month as part of Saudi Arabia’s broader push for digital integration in pilgrimage services.
BI Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta noted that expanding QRIS across borders is complex due to differences in payment system governance structures.
Unlike Indonesia, where the central bank oversees payment systems, many countries assign this responsibility to separate entities.
This necessitates a phased approach—starting with understanding the authority structure, adjusting regulations, aligning infrastructure, and then involving industry players in sandbox testing.
QRIS cross-border payments are already available in Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Indonesia, based on image by InterActive QRIS
