Apple and BI in Talks as QRIS Tap Eyes Future iPhone Rollout

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — Bank Indonesia said it is in active discussions with Apple to enable QRIS Tap on iPhone devices, signaling potential future access despite current NFC restrictions, Deputy Governor Filianingsih Hendarta said on Monday, Feb 23, 2026 in Jakarta. The talks aim to open near field communication access for Indonesia’s latest contactless payment feature beyond Apple Pay.

Filianingsih said Apple had not yet opened its NFC feature to third party applications, limiting QRIS Tap availability on iPhones for now. However, she emphasized that engagement was ongoing with both Apple’s Indonesia representatives and its global headquarters.

"QRIS users, please be patient for iPhone. Because currently Apple has not opened its NFC feature. It is only available for Apple Pay," she said. "They will further study the QRIS Tap feature to see the possibility of opening NFC access as has been done in the European Union."

She noted that iPhones were already equipped with NFC hardware capable of supporting tap to pay transactions. The main hurdle was platform access policy rather than technical readiness.

QRIS Tap is an enhancement of the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard system, shifting from QR code scanning to NFC based transactions. Users simply tap their smartphones on a reader to complete payments within seconds.

"This system no longer requires QR code scanning. Just tap the phone and the transaction is completed in a few seconds," Filianingsih said.

While awaiting broader device compatibility, QRIS Tap has gained traction on NFC enabled Android smartphones and WearOS smartwatches. Bank Indonesia recorded more than 475,000 transactions, with monthly growth of about 7.9%.

Transaction value rose 6.4% month to month to around Rp 4.6 billion, equal to $285,000, with average ticket sizes of roughly Rp 5,000 in transportation and Rp 70,000 in restaurants and retail. The momentum reinforced optimism that wider platform support could further accelerate adoption.