Indonesia currency: the rupiah and how you pay
The rupiah, the notes and coins, and how cash, cards and QR codes fit together.
By the Local SIM Indonesia team, checked October 3, 2026
The short answer
Indonesia's currency is the rupiah (IDR); by law, transactions are conducted in rupiah. Cards work in hotels, large restaurants and large stores, and across the cities; cash matters in markets and remote places. Money is changed at banks or licensed money changers, and QRIS, the national QR code standard, is scannable by visitors from partner countries.
- The rupiah (IDR), written Rp: banknotes from 1,000 to 100,000, and the coins in circulation from 50 up to 1,000.
- Cards: widely accepted in hotels, large restaurants and large stores, and across the major cities and tourist areas.
- QRIS: the national QR code standard; visitors from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore can scan it with a participating app from their own country.
- Exchange: banks and licensed money changers, marked with the Bank Indonesia logo and a QR code that names the licence.
- ATMs: international networks in the cities and tourist areas; your home bank sets the withdrawal limit, and machines load 50,000 and 100,000 rupiah notes.
- Card safety: keep your card in sight during a transaction, use ATMs inside a bank or a public place, cover your PIN, and check your statements.
Checked October 3, 2026
Cash and cards, in practice
Cards
- What to know
- Widely accepted at hotels, large restaurants and large stores, and across the major cities and tourist areas; Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted.
Cash
- What to know
- Markets, smaller towns and remote areas; keep smaller notes, since the 50,000 and 100,000 rupiah notes can be hard to split.
QRIS
- What to know
- The national QR code standard; visitors from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore can scan it with a participating app.
Exchange
- What to know
- Banks and licensed money changers with the Bank Indonesia logo; open the QR code to check the business and its licence.
At the ATM
- What to know
- International networks in the cities and tourist areas; machines load 50,000 and 100,000 rupiah notes.
The rupiah in practice
Notes and coins
Banknotes run from 1,000 to 100,000 rupiah, and the coins in circulation are the 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 rupiah pieces.
Where cash wins
Markets, smaller towns and remote areas still run on cash, and the ministry suggests withdrawing in the major cities before heading somewhere more secluded.
QRIS
Bank Indonesia's cross-border links let visitors from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore scan QRIS codes with an app from a participating bank or e-wallet, such as Krungthai or Kasikornbank in Thailand, Maybank or Touch 'n Go eWallet in Malaysia, and OCBC, UOB or DBS Paylah in Singapore.
At the ATM
Use machines inside a bank or a busy public place, cover your PIN, and check your statements: both the UK and Canadian advice report card and ATM fraud, and a fake helpline stuck on a machine is one of the tricks.
The bottom line
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What is the Indonesia currency?
The Indonesian rupiah, written IDR and with the Rp symbol. By law transactions are conducted in rupiah; cards are widely accepted in hotels, large restaurants and large stores, and cash covers markets, smaller towns and remote areas.
Can I use my card in Indonesia?
Most international cards work across the major cities and tourist areas, where Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted; in markets, smaller towns and remote areas, cash is what is expected.
How do I pay with QRIS as a visitor?
Where a merchant displays a QRIS code, visitors from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore can scan it with an app from a participating bank or e-wallet, from Krungthai or Kasikornbank in Thailand to Maybank or Touch 'n Go eWallet in Malaysia and OCBC, UOB or DBS Paylah in Singapore.
Where can I change money in Indonesia?
At banks or licensed money changers, which display the Bank Indonesia logo and a QR code naming the business and its licence; the UK advice warns that unlicensed changers can short-change you, so open the code before you change.
Sources
Where the facts on this page come from.
- Indonesia Travel, Ministry of Tourism: currency
- Indonesia Travel, Ministry of Tourism: payment system
- Bank Indonesia: QRIS cross-border
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Indonesia safety and security (card fraud and money changers)
- Government of Canada, Indonesia travel advice (cards, cash and fraud)
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