Indonesia Trials Cross-Border QRIS Payments With Saudi Arabia, India to Boost Bali Tourism
Indonesia is piloting cross-border use of its national QRIS digital payment standard with Saudi Arabia and India, aiming to make transactions easier for foreign tourists as Bali's tourism sector continues to grow.
According to Indonesia's state news agency Antara, Indonesia is trialing cross-border use of its national QR code payment standard, QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard), with Saudi Arabia and India. As tourist arrivals to Bali continue to rise, expanding this payment infrastructure is seen as adding value to the tourism sector by making transactions simpler for foreign visitors.
QRIS was originally introduced as Indonesia's unified domestic QR payment standard and has already been linked for cross-border use with countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. If the pilot with Saudi Arabia and India succeeds, tourists from those countries could potentially pay at merchants in Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia using their own mobile payment apps.
The initiative is currently at a trial stage, and details such as the rollout timeline and the scope of participating merchants have not yet been announced.
Things to Consider
Travelers from Saudi Arabia or India visiting Bali should check with their bank whether their mobile payment app is compatible with QRIS before their trip. Since coverage may still be limited at this early stage, it's advisable to also carry cash or an internationally accepted credit card as a backup.
Source: BERNAMA