From Fragmented Bank QR Codes to 69.3 Million Users: The Rise of QRIS

Indonesia's QR payment system did not begin as a universally accepted standard.

When Bank Indonesia launched the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard, or QRIS, in August 2019, banks and fintech companies were already developing and using their own QR-based payment systems.

Getting the industry to move toward one common standard required persistence.

Seven years later, QRIS has become one of the central pieces of Indonesia's digital-payment infrastructure.

Bank Indonesia's latest public data show 69.3 million users and more than 47 million merchants, with 96.7% of merchants classified as MSMEs.

The System Was Launched in August 2019

Bank Indonesia officially launched QRIS on August 17, 2019, coinciding with Indonesia's Independence Day.

Nationwide implementation became effective on January 1, 2020, after payment providers were given a transition period.

The objective was interoperability.

Instead of consumers and merchants dealing with separate QR codes for different providers, QRIS created a national technical standard that participating payment services could use.

Bank Indonesia and the Indonesian Payment System Association developed QRIS using the international EMVCo framework.

Banks Already Had Their Own Systems

Bank Indonesia Governor Destry Damayanti recently recalled that implementing QRIS was difficult at the beginning because several banks already had their own QR codes.

The central bank therefore needed to convince the industry of the value of moving toward a shared standard.

Historical material published by Bank Indonesia similarly notes that banks and fintech providers had been developing different QR payment solutions before QRIS became the national standard.

It is therefore more accurate to describe the early phase as a challenge of standardization and industry adoption, rather than saying that banks formally rejected QRIS.

Destry Cited 67 Million Users, but BI's Latest Figure Is Higher

In the interview published in October 2026, Destry said QRIS had reached 67 million users and 46.7 million merchants.

She said around 96% of those merchants were MSMEs.

Bank Indonesia's more recent published statistics, however, show that adoption has already moved further.

The official figure has reached 69.3 million users and more than 47 million merchants, with 96.7% of merchants classified as MSMEs.

The difference illustrates why QRIS statistics should always be presented with a reporting date.

The network continues to expand.

MSMEs Are at the Center of Adoption

QRIS has become particularly significant for smaller businesses.

With almost 97% of merchants classified as MSMEs, the system's expansion extends well beyond large retailers.

A small merchant can display a standardized QR code without needing separate payment acceptance arrangements for every participating application.

That lowers the operational barrier for accepting digital payments.

Destry has pointed to the growing use of QRIS even in traditional wet markets as an example of changing payment preferences among both consumers and merchants.

Standardization Is the Real Innovation

QR codes themselves are not new.

What makes QRIS strategically important is that it establishes a common standard across payment providers.

A customer can use a participating bank or payment application to scan a merchant's QRIS code.

The merchant does not need a different printed code for every participating provider.

That interoperability makes the system easier to scale and reduces fragmentation in the payment ecosystem.

QRIS Is Now Expanding Across Borders

Bank Indonesia has since extended the concept into cross-border payments.

QRIS Cross-Border allows Indonesians to use participating domestic payment applications in partner countries.

Foreign visitors from those partner markets can also use their home payment applications at participating Indonesian merchants.

The system is designed to facilitate more direct payment connectivity between countries.

Six Countries Are Currently Connected

One important correction is needed in the original material.

Bank Indonesia's official data show that, as of August 2026, QRIS Cross-Border was operational with six partner countries:

Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China.

Timor-Leste should not yet be counted as a seventh operational market.

Timor-Leste Is Still in the Exploration Stage

Bank Indonesia and Banco Central de Timor-Leste signed a memorandum of understanding on September 25, 2026.

The agreement covers payment systems and digital financial innovation.

But the official announcement says the MoU provides a foundation for exploring QRIS Cross-Border connectivity between the two countries.

That means Timor-Leste is a prospective partner rather than an already active QRIS Cross-Border market.

Destry has also identified India and Timor-Leste as potential areas for further expansion.

South Korea Joined in April

South Korea became one of the newest operational markets.

Bank Indonesia and the Bank of Korea officially launched cross-border QR payment connectivity on April 1, 2026.

The arrangement enables Indonesian users to pay in South Korea using participating domestic applications.

It expanded an existing network that already included Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.

China subsequently joined the active network in 2026.

Usage Continues to Rise Rapidly

QRIS growth is visible not only in the number of registered users and merchants.

Bank Indonesia reported that QRIS transaction volume increased 67.22% year on year in August 2026.

Total digital-payment volume reached 6.11 billion transactions during that month.

That suggests QRIS is becoming embedded in daily payment behavior rather than merely accumulating registrations.

Scale Creates New Challenges

The issues facing QRIS today are different from those in 2019.

The original challenge was convincing a fragmented industry to support one common standard.

Now the priorities include cybersecurity, reliability, consumer protection, interoperability and user education.

Destry has reminded customers to verify the recipient's identity before confirming a QRIS payment, highlighting the importance of basic transaction awareness as digital payments become more widespread.

A system used by tens of millions of people must grow securely as well as quickly.

Bottom Line

QRIS began in 2019 as Indonesia's attempt to standardize a fragmented QR-payment landscape.

Several banks and payment companies already had their own QR systems, requiring Bank Indonesia to build industry support for a shared standard.

In a recent interview, Governor Destry Damayanti cited 67 million users and 46.7 million merchants.

Bank Indonesia's latest published figures are even higher: 69.3 million users, more than 47 million merchants and 96.7% MSME participation.

QRIS has also moved beyond Indonesia.

Cross-border connectivity is currently operational with six countries—Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and China.

Timor-Leste is not yet a seventh active market; the two central banks are still exploring connectivity following a September 2026 cooperation agreement.

The evolution of QRIS is therefore not just a story about QR codes.

It is a story about how a common payment standard moved from industry coordination challenges to becoming infrastructure used by tens of millions of people and millions of small businesses.