QRIS Now Accepted in Japan, Marking a Milestone on Indonesia’s 80th Independence Day
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — QRIS, Indonesia’s standardized QR payment system, has officially launched in Japan as of Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, in a symbolic move coinciding with the country’s 80th Independence Day. The rollout marks the first implementation of QRIS beyond Southeast Asia, following earlier expansions to Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo hailed the launch as a significant milestone in the development of Indonesia’s national payment system, calling it a symbol of digital economic sovereignty and a step forward in facilitating seamless cross-border transactions.
Since its introduction six years ago, QRIS — short for Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard — has grown to 57 million users, and is widely credited for transforming Indonesia’s digital payment landscape.
In his announcement on Sunday, Warjiyo said the launch in Japan is part of Bank Indonesia’s broader initiative to internationalize QRIS, reinforcing the country’s commitment to innovation and digital connectivity.
At the initial stage, QRIS is now accepted at 35 merchants in Japan through the JPQR Global standard. Indonesian consumers can use local mobile payment apps to scan the QR code and complete transactions in yen, with real-time conversion.
This bilateral rollout is the result of a partnership between Bank Indonesia and the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI), with support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), the Payment Japan Association (PJA), and fintech operator Netstars. The initiative is expected to enhance convenience and cost-efficiency for Indonesian travelers while strengthening economic ties between the two nations.
“This implementation will continue to expand to more merchants across Japan. In the future, Japanese visitors will also be able to use their domestic payment apps in Indonesia,” said Warjiyo.
In parallel, Bank Indonesia has begun piloting QRIS interconnectivity with China, through a joint test with the People’s Bank of China (PBoC). The trial involves ASPI, UnionPay International (UPI), and several Indonesian payment service providers.
The pilot aims to ease payment processes for small businesses and boost tourism between the two countries. It also represents Indonesia’s growing efforts to embed itself more deeply into Asia’s evolving digital finance ecosystem.
As of June 2025, QRIS has shown promising results in its cross-border expansion. Transactions with Thailand reached 994,890, worth Rp 437.54 billion ($27.3 million) since its August 2022 launch. With Malaysia, the figure soared to 4.31 million transactions totaling Rp1.15 trillion ($71.9 million) since May 2023. The most recent partnership with Singapore, launched on Nov 17, 2023, has already recorded 238,216 transactions worth Rp 77.06 billion ($4.8 million).
Bank Indonesia has pledged to accelerate the global acceptance of QRIS through new features and international collaborations. The long-term goal, Warjiyo said, is to position QRIS as a standard for regional interoperability in digital payments.
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