Jakarta. Indonesia has begun testing cross-border QR payments with South Korea in a move that could expand the reach of its fast-growing digital payment ecosystem and reduce reliance on the US dollar in regional trade. Bank Indonesia targets full implementation by 2026.

“Today, we are launching a sandbox with South Korea. God willing, next year it will be fully connected,” BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said at the 2025 Indonesia Digital Economy Festival (FEKDI) and Indonesia Fintech Summit & Expo (IFSE) in Jakarta.

The pilot marks Indonesia’s latest expansion of QRIS interoperability, which has already been established with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and China. BI also plans to link the system with India and Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to strengthen regional digital economic integration.

“Our QRIS is already connected with Malaysia, Japan, and China. And today, we are linking it with Korea,” Perry said.

He added that QRIS has become one of the key pillars of Indonesia’s digital economy. The payment system now has more than 57 million users nationwide, including 40 million small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

“QRIS is now part of everyday life. Even when I play golf, I buy golf balls using QRIS, no cash needed,” Perry quipped.

During the same event, BI also introduced a new QRIS Tap-in/Tap-out feature for five public transportation modes in Greater Jakarta, including the KAI Commuter Line, TransJakarta, LRT Jakarta, LRT Jabodebek, and MRT Jakarta.

The new system uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, allowing users to simply tap their smartphones on the payment gate instead of scanning a QR code manually.

Perry said the innovation aims to make transactions more seamless while accelerating Indonesia’s transition toward a digital financial ecosystem.

“Let’s continue to collaborate in advancing our digital financial and payment systems, all for the people,” he said.