Cross-Border QRIS Strengthens Bali's Tourism, Digital Transactions Surge

Denpasar – Cross-border expansion of the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) is recognized to deliver added value for Bali's tourism industry. This seamless digital payment convenience allows international tourists to conduct transactions far more practically during their stay on the Island of the Gods.

Achris Sarwani, Head of the Bank Indonesia (BI) Representative Office for Bali Province, confirmed that cross-border QRIS is currently integrated with six countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and China.

"Right now we have established connections with these six countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and China," Achris stated in Denpasar, Bali on Saturday (8/8/2026).

Beyond these six nations, Indonesia is also conducting trial phases for cross-border QRIS integration with Saudi Arabia and India.

According to Achris, both countries hold substantial market potential. Saudi Arabia maintains close people mobility ties with Indonesia primarily for Hajj pilgrimage requirements, while India has emerged as one of the fastest growing international tourist source markets for Bali.

"We are indeed seeing a rising number of Indian tourists arriving in Bali," he remarked, as quoted by state news agency Antara.

Cross-Border QRIS Transactions Surge

The growing adoption of cross-border QRIS is clearly reflected in transaction growth figures recorded across Bali.

BI Bali logged that the total value of cross-border QRIS transactions throughout 2025 reached IDR 36 billion, marking a 229 percent spike compared to 2024's figure of approximately IDR 10.9 billion.

In terms of transaction volume, cross-border QRIS operations in Bali hit 148,717 transactions during 2025, recording 224 percent year-on-year growth.

Tourists from Malaysia were recorded as the highest users of cross-border QRIS, both for Bali specifically and nationally across Indonesia.

This payment convenience becomes even more impactful as QRIS adoption among Bali's business operators continues to expand steadily.

Based on data as of February 2026, the number of business outlets using QRIS in Bali has reached approximately 1.1 million locations, with around 1.15 million individual registered users.

Micro enterprises make up the largest share of QRIS-adopting businesses at 58.76 percent, followed by small enterprises at 30.35 percent, medium enterprises at 7.54 percent, and large corporations at 2.95 percent.

Expanding QRIS Ecosystem

These QRIS development trends in Bali align with overall national digital payment growth.

Bank Indonesia recorded that national QRIS transaction volume reached 12.55 billion transactions in the first semester of 2026, growing 100.12 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

By transaction value, total national QRIS operations amounted to IDR 600.69 trillion as of end June 2026, representing an 89.52 percent annual growth rate.

Total QRIS users across Indonesia now stand at approximately 66 million people, while the payment system is accepted at around 44.86 million merchants nationwide.

Bank Indonesia has set end-2026 targets of 70 million total QRIS users, 47 million registered merchants, and 17 billion total annual transactions.

With 12.55 billion transactions already recorded in the first half of the year, this achievement already represents nearly three quarters of the full year target.

The QRIS ecosystem also continues to widen, currently involving 96 banks, 60 non-bank financial institutions, and 4 switching service providers.

Potential From International Tourists

Cross-border QRIS expansion holds increasingly strategic importance for Bali, given that tourism remains one of the region's core economic drivers.

Bali Province Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded that direct international tourist arrivals to Bali reached 578,251 visits in May 2026, marking a 4.50 percent increase from April 2026's 553,328 arrivals. Australian passport holders remained the largest visitor group in May, accounting for 25.19 percent of total arrivals.

Earlier in April 2026, international tourist arrivals also stood at 553,328 visits, with Australian tourists dominating at 26.46 percent market share.

This trend demonstrates the large addressable market that can be captured through integrated cross-border payment systems.

For visiting tourists, QRIS reduces reliance on physical cash and provides seamless payment access across all types of business establishments.

Meanwhile for tourism sector operators, wider payment connectivity creates additional opportunities to capture more transactions from foreign visitors.

As more countries are added to the integration network alongside ongoing trials with Saudi Arabia and India, cross-border QRIS expansion is positioned to become one of the key supporting pillars for Bali's increasingly digitised tourism ecosystem.