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Bali, Indonesia): If you are planning to visit ‘Island of Gods’ i.e. Bali in your next holiday, then there is a very good news for you. While traveling abroad, tourists have to worry most about currency exchange and carrying a lot of cash with them. But, the Bali administration has now found a high-tech solution to this problem. Amid the rapid expansion of 5G connectivity, a new digital payment system in Bali ‘QRIS’ Is becoming increasingly popular. With the implementation of this system, the shopping, dining and traveling experience for international tourists has completely changed.
What is ‘QRIS’ system and how does it work?
QRIS (Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard) is a state-of-the-art QR-code based digital payment system. You can understand it like India’s UPI system. The biggest feature of this system is that foreign travelers can make payment directly in their ‘home currency’ using their smartphones. When you scan and make a payment, the system automatically converts your currency into Indonesian ‘Rupiah’ and the money is transferred directly to the merchant’s account. This means that now there is no need to stand in long lines to exchange foreign currency, nor to worry about change!
There is competition among tourists from these countries, the scope is continuously increasing
Head of Bank Indonesia (BI) Bali, Erwin Soriyadimadja, said that this smart and cashless system is being embraced by foreign tourists. If we look at the data, there has been a year-on-year increase in cross-border QRIS transactions of tourists coming from Malaysia. 196% There has been a huge surge. After this comes Thailand (183%) and Singapore (156%). In order to save time and money of tourists, now this service is being extended to the passengers of China and South Korea, the testing of which is currently going on.
The network reached from small traders to big hotels
According to I Nyoman Sudharma, President Director, Bank BPD Bali, this digital revolution is also connecting small traders in rural areas with global tourists. In the year 2025, 172 million (17.2 crore) transactions were done through this system. By the end of 2026, the Bali administration aims to connect approximately 11 lakh merchants To connect it, so that digital payments can reach villages and towns.
Travel experts warn: Going completely ‘cashless’ may prove costly!
Even though the QRIS system has eliminated the need for cash at Bali’s main tourist spots, travel experts still strongly advise tourists to keep some ‘cash’ in their pockets. If you are thinking of visiting an unknown waterfall away from the city, buying something from a corner shop, paying rent for car parking or giving a ‘tip’ to a driver-hotel staff, then cash will be useful there. Additionally, carrying some cash can also protect yourself from the infamous ‘money exchange scams’ common in Bali.