Bank Indonesia (BI) has announced that the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS Payments) will officially operate in Japan beginning 17 August 2025, aligning with the 80th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.
Deputy Governor of Bank Indonesia, Filianingsih Hendarta, confirmed that QRIS trials in Japan had been underway since 15 May 2025. The results have been positive, paving the way for a full rollout.
“We have conducted a sandbox with Japan since 15 May, and the results went well. If there are no significant obstacles, we will launch outbound use on 17 August,” said Filianingsih during the Board of Governors Meeting held on Wednesday, 21 May 2025.
She further stated during an online press conference on 22 May 2025, “Hopefully, if there are no significant obstacles, we can launch the use of it (QRIS in Japan) on August 17.”
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The sandbox period of over three months allowed both countries to assess the technical, security, and operational aspects of the cross-border payment system. The results indicated a strong compatibility between Indonesia’s digital payment infrastructure and Japan’s system.
The use of QR scan payments will enable Indonesian travellers to Japan to conduct transactions using their local digital payment platforms.
Cross-Border Cooperation Expands Beyond Japan
Bank Indonesia is also pursuing the expansion of QRIS into other countries. Filianingsih noted that technical discussions are ongoing with India and are facilitated through the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) International.
For South Korea, she explained, “It is still in the process of studying and finalising cooperation at the industry level.”
Currently, international QRIS Payments can be used in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Efforts to establish QRIS interoperability with China have shown encouraging developments. Final agreements have been made between UnionPay International and ASPI, alongside Indonesia’s four national switching service providers: PT Rintis Sejahtera (Rintis), PT Alto Network (Alto), PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (Artajasa), and PT Jalin Pembayaran Nusantara (Jalin).
“So there is also an agreement between 4 switching in Indonesia, Rintis, Alto, Artajasa, and Jalin with UnionPay International China for system development and user acceptance testing (UAT) and also Performance Privacy Fairness (PPF),” said Filianingsih.
Bank Indonesia plans to begin sandbox trials in China on the same date as Japan’s official launch: 17 August 2025.
