QRIS Payment System Expands Globally, Easing Merchant Transactions

Seven years after its inception, Indonesia's Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) is transcending national borders, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of the nation's digital payment transformation. Developed by Bank Indonesia (BI), QRIS initially aimed to unify the fragmented QR payment landscape within the country.

This expansion continues under new leadership at the central bank. The former Governor, Perry Warjiyo, prioritized strengthening digital payment systems, a policy that propelled QRIS from a national standard to an international one. The current Acting Governor, Destry Damayanti, affirmed that this development trajectory will persist.

"Payment system policies will continue to be directed to support and strengthen people's purchasing power through the expansion of cross-country QRIS cooperation with priority partner countries and the 2026 Indonesian Culinary QRIS Exploration program, with a target of 47 million QRIS merchants by 2026 to encourage an inclusive digital financial economy, including for MSMEs," Damayanti stated during a media briefing on Monday, August 3, 2026.

Launched on August 17, 2019, QRIS standardized QR code payments, eliminating the need for merchants to adopt multiple QR codes from different providers. BI designed QRIS with principles of speed, ease, affordability, security, and reliability, fostering an interconnected and interoperable payment system. Cross-border connections have already been established with Japan and South Korea, building upon existing partnerships with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and China.

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Payment system policies will continue to be directed to support and strengthen people's purchasing power through the expansion of cross-country QRIS cooperation with priority partner countries and the 2026 Indonesian Culinary QRIS Exploration program, with a target of 47 million QRIS merchants by 2026 to encourage an inclusive digital financial economy, including for MSMEs.