Money in Indonesia: rupiah, cards, ATMs, QRIS and cash for the islands

Rupiah: the notes you will actually handle

Indonesia's currency is the rupiah (IDR, written Rp), issued by Bank Indonesia. The Ministry of Tourism states that by law all transactions must be conducted in rupiah, so even where a tour or a room is advertised in dollars, the bill you settle in the country should be in rupiah. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the ministry listed notes of Rp 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000, and coins of Rp 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000. Bank Indonesia's banknote gallery shows both a 2016 and a 2022 design for the main notes, so do not be surprised to get two different-looking notes of the same value.

The everyday problem is not the currency but the size of the notes. The ministry warns that ATMs are loaded with either Rp 50,000 or Rp 100,000 notes, shown on the machine, and that the larger notes can be hard to split, especially in rural areas away from the tourist trail. Break big notes in supermarkets, minimarts, hotels and larger restaurants, and keep a stack of Rp 2,000 to Rp 20,000 notes for parking attendants, toilets, street carts and small entrance fees.

Because so many numbers have three zeros, double-check prices before you hand over cash: Rp 50,000 and Rp 5,000 notes look different, but in a hurry, at night or with a distracting seller, it is easy to give the wrong one.

Cards, QRIS and e-money: what works where

The ministry says credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, large restaurants and large stores, and that cards of well-known brands are generally accepted in major cities, while advising you to carry enough rupiah, especially for smaller towns and remote areas where local stores may take only cash. Wikivoyage adds that Visa, Mastercard and JCB are widely accepted, that American Express can be a problem, and that smaller businesses often add a surcharge of 2 to 5 percent for card payments. If a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency instead of rupiah, choosing rupiah usually leaves the exchange rate to your own bank.

QRIS is Bank Indonesia's national QR code standard, and you will see its sticker at many stalls, cafés, ticket counters and buses. Paying with it needs a payment app that is part of the system. When we checked on 2026-10-03, Bank Indonesia's QRIS Cross-Border page said visitors from partner countries can pay at all QRIS merchants with their own domestic app, entering the amount in rupiah and confirming it in their own currency; the partners listed were Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, with Japan listed only for Indonesians paying in Japan. Bank Indonesia caps a QRIS transaction at Rp 10 million. If your app is not from a partner country, do not count on QRIS: treat it as a bonus and keep cash and a card.

Public transport in the big cities is increasingly cashless. The ministry's Jakarta guide says Transjakarta stops take electronic money cards instead of cash: you can buy a JakLingko card at the stops, which also works on the MRT, LRT and commuter trains, or use bank prepaid cards such as BCA Flazz, BRI Brizzi, Mandiri e-money or BNI Tapcash, topped up at ATMs, stop counters or minimarts. Always tap out at the end of a ride, or the card may be blocked.

Ride-hailing apps (Grab and Gojek) let you pay in cash or by card. Wikivoyage notes that local e-wallets such as GoPay and OVO can be used without an Indonesian bank account, but you then have to top them up at an ATM or a convenience store such as Alfamart.

• Card usually fine: hotels, resorts, malls, supermarkets, larger restaurants, dive centres and most tour operators in the main tourist areas.
• Cash expected: warungs and street carts, traditional markets, small guesthouses and homestays, local boats and ojek drivers, parking, toilets, village entrance and donation posts.
• Cashless only: Jakarta's Transjakarta buses and MRT gates, and Bali's tourist levy (paid online or by card at the counters).

ATMs and money changers

ATMs on the Plus (Visa), Cirrus and Maestro (Mastercard) networks are common in Indonesia's major cities and tourist areas, according to the ministry; check the logo on the machine before inserting your card. It also notes that JCB cards work at affiliated banks including BNI, CIMB Niaga, Mandiri and BRI, and that American Express cardholders can use Danamon Bank ATMs. How much you can take out depends on your home bank. Wikivoyage reports that a single withdrawal is often limited to around 25 to 30 notes and that daily limits of Rp 10 to 15 million may apply, so plan two withdrawals if you need cash for a long remote stretch.

Use ATMs inside bank branches, malls or airport halls during the day where possible. The UK government warns that card fraud is common in Indonesia, that you should not lose sight of your card during a payment, and that criminals sometimes stick a fake phone number on ATMs, asking customers to call it about problems so they can obtain card details. If a machine keeps your card, call the number on the back of your card, not one posted on the machine.

If you exchange cash, use a licensed money changer. The UK advice says unlicensed changers may short-change you, and that licensed ones display a Bank of Indonesia logo and a QR code you can scan to check the business name and its licence. Count the notes yourself before you leave the counter. Wikivoyage adds that changers are picky about the condition of foreign notes, often rejecting older, torn or marked US dollar bills, and that exchange counters are easy to find on Java, Bali and Lombok but sparse on the outer islands. The ministry likewise advises changing money before travelling to remote areas.

Remote islands, national parks and holidays: carry enough cash

This is the rule that matters most in Indonesia. The ministry advises withdrawing cash from an ATM in a major city before heading to more secluded destinations, and warns that you may find it hard to find an ATM in smaller towns and remote areas. Small islands are the clearest case. Wikivoyage reports that there are no ATMs in the Togean Islands, so cash has to come from Ampana on the mainland. In Karimunjawa, it records that high waves stranded about 500 visitors at the end of 2014 and the island's ATMs ran out of money after three days, and it advises carrying cash for at least five days.

Even where islands do have machines, they are a backup rather than a plan. Wikivoyage notes that Nusa Lembongan now has several ATMs but still advises bringing rupiah, and that cash-withdrawal services in shops and hotels there charge a fee of around 8 to 10 percent. Work out what you will pay in cash on each remote leg (rooms in small guesthouses, boat charters, guides, park and village fees, meals), add a reserve for a cancelled boat or an extra night, and withdraw it before you leave the last town with a reliable bank.

Holidays are the other trap. The ministry notes that around Idul Fitri, collective leave can extend the holiday to about 7 to 10 days, and that during Ramadan many restaurants and food stalls close during the day. In Bali, Nyepi, the Day of Silence, closes the airport and the whole island for 24 hours. Offices and many businesses close for these holidays, so stock up on cash before the dates rather than counting on finding an open bank.

Arriving: visa fee, Bali levy and the cash you must declare

Some payments are due before you even reach a cash machine. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the UK government listed the visa on arrival at Rp 500,000, payable by cash or card, and asked travellers to complete the free All Indonesia arrival and customs declaration within 72 hours of arrival, avoiding look-alike sites that ask for payment. Check the immigration authority's own site for the visa that applies to you before travelling.

Bali charges a one-time tourist levy on foreign visitors. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the official Love Bali site listed it at IDR 150,000 and showed the equivalent in foreign currencies at the exchange rate fixed on its payment page, noting that the issuing bank may add charges. The Ministry of Tourism explains that it is paid cashless, online through Love Bali by bank transfer, virtual account or QRIS, or by card at counters at Ngurah Rai airport and Benoa port, and that paying before you fly is recommended.

Large sums of cash must be declared. The ministry says travellers bringing in or taking out more than Rp 100 million, or the equivalent in another currency, must declare it to Indonesian Customs. The customs authority's passenger page lists cash and other payment instruments of at least Rp 100,000,000, or the foreign-currency equivalent, among the goods that may be sent for physical inspection. Few holidaymakers come close, but divers and long-stay travellers carrying a season's budget in cash should check it.

Tipping, service charges and bargaining

Tipping is not a fixed custom. Wikivoyage describes it as optional and often hoped for in the tourist areas of Java and Bali, but not expected in everyday places, and notes that Indonesians themselves rarely tip unless the service was exceptional. A tip for a guide, driver, porter or spa therapist who has done a good job is appreciated; hand it directly and discreetly to the person. In hotels and smarter restaurants, prices marked with “++” add tax and a service charge to the bill, so check the small print on the menu before adding more.

Bargaining is normal in markets, souvenir stalls and with independent drivers and boatmen, but not in supermarkets, malls and places with printed prices. Agree on the price, and for boats and drivers on what is included (stops, waiting time, return), before you set off, and have the right notes ready, so the deal does not depend on someone finding change.

Keeping money safe

Split your cash and cards: a day's money in a front pocket, the rest in the hotel safe or a separate bag, and one card kept apart from the others in case one is swallowed or blocked. The UK government warns of bag-snatching and pickpocketing in busy tourist areas, with frequent reports in Bali, and advises carrying only essentials and taking care of your passport and bank cards.

Tell your bank you are travelling, keep its emergency number offline, and use your banking app's card freeze if something looks wrong. With QRIS, Bank Indonesia advises checking that the merchant name shown in your app matches the place you are paying, and checking the notification after payment; report problems to the provider whose app you used.