Bank Indonesia has announced that the cross-border payment project using the Indonesian Standard QR Code (QRIS) will officially launch between the end of March and early April 2026, with the first partner countries being China and South Korea. A deputy governor of Bank Indonesia stated that Indonesia has completed technical tests and sandbox verifications with the relevant regulatory authorities of both China and South Korea. The pilot test with China was completed at the end of January, and the test with South Korea ended in late February, with system security and smoothness meeting standards, pending official launch.
In January 2026, QRIS transactions in Indonesia grew 131.4% year-on-year, maintaining rapid growth. Bank Indonesia aims to achieve 17 billion QRIS transactions in 2026, covering 45 million merchants and 60 million users, and expand cross-border usage to 8 countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia plans to leverage its 2026–2027 chairmanship of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation to promote QRIS adoption among member states.
D-8 includes Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, with Azerbaijan becoming the 9th member in 2025. The Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Egypt and Turkey are the next priority countries for QRIS expansion, mainly due to the large number of Indonesian diaspora and students in these countries, creating strong cross-border payment demand.
Promoting QRIS cross-border interoperability aims to facilitate transactions among member states, support MSME development, and foster digital economy cooperation, while also helping Indonesia become a global digital financial hub. The D-8 summit is scheduled for April 15, 2026, in Jakarta, where further cooperation will be advanced.
Bank Indonesia has announced that the cross-border payment project using the Indonesian Standard QR Code (QRIS) will officially launch between the end of March and early April 2026, with the first partner countries being China and South Korea. A deputy governor of Bank Indonesia stated that Indonesia has completed technical tests and sandbox verifications with the relevant regulatory authorities of both China and South Korea. The pilot test with China was completed at the end of January, and the test with South Korea ended in late February, with system security and smoothness meeting standards, pending official launch.
In January 2026, QRIS transactions in Indonesia grew 131.4% year-on-year, maintaining rapid growth. Bank Indonesia aims to achieve 17 billion QRIS transactions in 2026, covering 45 million merchants and 60 million users, and expand cross-border usage to 8 countries. Meanwhile, Indonesia plans to leverage its 2026–2027 chairmanship of the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation to promote QRIS adoption among member states.
D-8 includes Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey, with Azerbaijan becoming the 9th member in 2025. The Director General of Multilateral Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Egypt and Turkey are the next priority countries for QRIS expansion, mainly due to the large number of Indonesian diaspora and students in these countries, creating strong cross-border payment demand.
Promoting QRIS cross-border interoperability aims to facilitate transactions among member states, support MSME development, and foster digital economy cooperation, while also helping Indonesia become a global digital financial hub. The D-8 summit is scheduled for April 15, 2026, in Jakarta, where further cooperation will be advanced.