Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Bank Indonesia (BI) has begun testing cross-border payments using the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) with South Korea, following earlier successful rollouts in Thailand, Japan, and China.
BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said the initiative aims to strengthen cross-border payment connectivity and advance Indonesia’s national payment system.
“Our international cross-border QR system is now connected with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and China. Starting today, we are expanding it to South Korea,” Perry said during the 2025 Indonesia Digital Economy Festival (FEKDI) and IFSE event on Thursday (Oct 30), as reported by CNN Indonesia.
He added that the central bank plans to expand QRIS connectivity further to other countries, including India and Saudi Arabia. “We’ll continue working toward integration with India, Saudi Arabia, and other nations,” he said.
The cross-border QRIS pilot between Indonesia and South Korea officially launched Thursday, entering a sandbox testing phase that is expected to pave the way for full implementation next year. “Today, we launch the pilot with South Korea. The sandbox testing starts now, and God willing, by next year the connection will be live,” Perry said.
QRIS, introduced in 2019, has now reached nearly 60 million users, with around 40 million of them being small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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Earlier this year, BI announced that QRIS could officially be used in Japan starting August 17, 2025, coinciding with Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day. The move marked a major step in expanding Indonesia’s digital payment network beyond the ASEAN region.
A day later, BI also announced the start of payment interconnectivity trials with China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), enabling QRIS-based transactions between the two countries.
Perry noted that linking Indonesia’s payment system with China will bring significant benefits by facilitating cross-border trade, supporting SMEs, and boosting tourism between the two nations.
(Raidi/Agung)
