RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Bank Indonesia (BI) has reported a positive trend in the performance of the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) for cross-border transactions in the first quarter of 2026 (Q1-2026). The momentum is expected to strengthen with the implementation of cross-border QRIS transactions with China by the end of April 2026.

According to BI’s report, the transaction volume from foreign tourists spending in Indonesia (inbound) was higher than that of Indonesian citizens transacting abroad (outbound).

“In Q1-2026, the total volume of inbound QRIS transactions reached 2.79 million, marking a 222 percent year-on-year increase. Meanwhile, the nominal value reached IDR 713.59 billion (approximately USD 41.16 million),” said BI Executive Director of the Communications Department, Ramdan Denny Prakoso, on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Outbound QRIS transactions also rose, with 737,647 transactions recorded and a total value of IDR 249.26 billion.

“This development reflects the growing need for and utilization of QRIS in cross-border transactions,” Denny said. He added that the positive trend is expected to continue following BI’s implementation of cross-border QRIS with China.

The enthusiasm was already evident during the pilot phase of QRIS with China, when BI recorded 1.64 million transactions worth IDR 556 billion.

Currently, cross-border QRIS is available in six countries: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and China.

Meanwhile, overall QRIS utilization has grown by 116.43 percent. Since its launch in 2020 through Q1-2026, QRIS acceptance has reached 44 million merchants, dominated by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The number of QRIS users has now reached 61.7 million. Transaction volume stands at 31 billion, with a total value of IDR 2,970 trillion. (Gusti Panji/Lasti Martina)