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View all search resultsCross-Border QR Payments Between Indonesia and China Fully Operational
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Cross-border QRIS payment system breaks barriers between Indonesia and China, as it seamlessly allows merchants and customers in both countries to be able to do transactions through UnionPay's cross-border payment network. (Courtesy of UnionPay International)
I
n a café in Jakarta's Sudirman business district, a company executive finishes a business lunch with a Chinese corporate partner and heads to the cashier. Instead of reaching for cash or a card, each could open their normally used mobile banking app, scan the QR code displayed at the counter, and completes the payment within seconds.
Scenes like this have become increasingly common across Indonesia. QR code-based payments have transformed the way businesses and consumers conduct everyday transactions, from airports and shopping centers to restaurants, hotels and tourist destinations.
Today, the impact of QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) extends far beyond domestic transactions. As Indonesia strengthens financial connectivity with other countries, QRIS is entering a new phase, from a national payment standard to a cross-border payment ecosystem.
Through collaboration between Indonesia and China, two-way cross-border QR payments are now fully operational. Indonesian consumers can use QRIS-enabled applications to scan and pay at UnionPay and Alipay QR-accepting merchants across China, while Chinese visitors can conveniently pay in Indonesia using compatible QR payment platforms from their home country, including the UnionPay App, bank apps connected to UnionPay MobileWallet Connect, and Alipay. This two-way interoperability is made possible through UnionPay's cross-border payment network, which bridges China's and Indonesia's local payment systems.
Driven by QRIS's proven interoperability, convenience, and cost efficiency at home, cross-border payments represent the natural next stage of its evolution, and this milestone marks that evolution becoming reality. Indonesia and China are turning payment interoperability into a practical achievement, delivering a more seamless, efficient and connected digital payment experience that now extends well beyond domestic borders.
The numbers confirm that the conditions for cross-border interoperability are already in place, not anticipated, but proven. According to Bank Indonesia, QRIS transactions grew 116 percent year-on-year in Q1 2026, nearly triple the pace of overall digital payment growth, supported by a network of 44 million merchants and 61.7 million users built since 2020. Cross-border demand is equally tangible: inbound QRIS transactions, international visitors paying in Indonesia, reached 2.79 million in Q1 2026, outpacing outbound volumes by nearly four to one. Indonesia is not preparing to become a cross-border QR destination; it already is one.
The data also show that Indonesia’s local digital payment ecosystem is already mature and that cross-border demand genuinely exists, making interoperability the natural next step in the organic extension of Indonesia’s digital payment ecosystem.
A senior payment industry analyst observed that the figures confirm “the real foundation for cross-border interoperability is already in place”.
“This is not merely a policy concept, but a response to real market demand that emerges as the domestic payment ecosystem matures. In addition, cross-border payment interoperability is becoming the natural extension of QRIS from domestic success toward broader utility,” the analyst said.
Two-Way QR Payment
Indonesia and China have achieved a major milestone in two-way QR payment interoperability.
On April 30, 2026, interoperability between QRIS and China’s QR system went live alongside the launch ceremony of the Indonesia Digital Innovation Centre (PIDI), marking the shift of China–Indonesia cross-border QR payment from a cooperation framework into a usable service.
Building on that initial activation, on June 11 under the guidance of the central banks of both countries, UnionPay together with its partners announced that the China–Indonesia cross-border QR interoperability project has gone fully live, enabling consumers in both countries to scan and pay across most cross-border retail scenarios using their usual payment platforms.
Under the guidance of the two central banks and led by ASPI, UnionPay participates in advancing the connection with Indonesia’s local payment networks, driving two-way interoperability into implementation.
The cross-border QR payment linkage project between UnionPay International and Indonesia's ASPI is a representative of the Government-to-Government (G2G) cooperation model.
What values can merchant and consumers gain from the China–Indonesia cross-border QR interoperability?
When it comes to the practical significance of interoperability, especially those tied to tourism, food and beverage, retail, hotels, transport and tourist sites, the value of interoperability is not merely adding another payment method.
Because most merchants already accept QRIS, they can serve Chinese travelers without installing additional payment infrastructure. This reduces friction at the point of sale and helps convert tourist traffic into actual spending.
The interoperability works equally well in the other direction. For example, a Chinese tourist visiting Yogyakarta stops at a local handicraft store to purchase souvenirs. After selecting several items, she proceeds to the cashier and asks how she can make the payment.
The merchant points to the store's QRIS code displayed at the counter. Using her preferred UnionPay App, she scans the QRIS code and completes the transaction within seconds. The payment is automatically processed through the cross-border QR interoperability system.
For the merchant, no additional payment infrastructure is required beyond the existing QRIS setup. The transaction is received securely and efficiently, while the tourist enjoys the convenience of paying with a familiar application from home.
From the consumer perspective, particularly for Indonesians travelling to China, the ability to use familiar payment applications such as DANA, ShopeePay, GoPay, myBCA, and Livin' by Mandiri removes the need to exchange cash, download new payment tools, adapt to unfamiliar interfaces, lower the payment threshold and make the cross-border experience closer to everyday local payment.
For example, an Indonesian business traveler arrives in Guangzhou for a trade exhibition. After checking into his hotel, he visits a nearby restaurant for dinner. When it is time to pay, he notices a QR code displayed at the cashier.
Instead of exchanging cash or searching for an international payment card, he simply opens his Indonesian wallet application, scans the UnionPay QR code, and authorizes the payment. The transaction is processed seamlessly through the China–Indonesia cross-border QR payment network. The merchant receives payment in local currency, while the traveler sees the transaction reflected in Indonesian Rupiah on his banking application.
The experience is fast, convenient, and familiar, allowing the traveler to focus on his business activities without worrying about payment barriers.
This interoperability benefits both sides: consumers gain a seamless payment experience when traveling abroad, while merchants gain access to a broader international customer base without investing in new payment acceptance systems.
"These scenarios demonstrate how cross-border QR interoperability transforms digital payments from a domestic convenience into a regional financial connectivity platform, supporting tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges between Indonesia and China," said one industry expert.
UnionPay’s Role Across ASEAN
Under the guidance of the two central banks and ASPI’s leadership, UnionPay, as a cross-border payment network partner, participates in connecting China’s and Indonesia’s local payment networks, moving two-way QR payment from a cooperation mechanism into real-world use.
On one hand, the project shows that cross-border payment interoperability is being driven by a multi-party model involving regulatory coordination, network partners, local payment institutions and settlement partners.
On the other, UnionPay’s interoperability footprint across Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia shows that the China–Indonesia cooperation is not an isolated case, but part of the continued deepening of ASEAN regional payment connectivity. The China–Indonesia initiative also reflects a broader regional trend toward payment connectivity, demonstrating growing momentum toward a more integrated ASEAN payment ecosystem.
These efforts align with regional initiatives to empower MSMEs to take part in cross-border digital commerce and to advance inclusive digital transformation across ASEAN.
As QRIS continues to mature and cross-border travel rebounds, payment interoperability is becoming an increasingly important enabler of regional economic activity. The China–Indonesia QR linkage demonstrates how digital payment infrastructure can move beyond domestic convenience to support tourism, trade, and people-to-people exchanges. More broadly, it offers a practical model for strengthening financial connectivity across Asia through interoperable, user-friendly payment systems.
