BPD Bali prepares QRIS cross-border rollout for South Korea

Denpasar — — PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah Bali (BPD Bali) is preparing to offer cross-border QRIS payments for transactions between Indonesia and South Korea, in line with Bank Indonesia’s newly launched QRIS linkage with the country. The planned service would add South Korea to the list of destinations already targeted by the regional bank through QRIS cross-border features.

BPD Bali President Director I Nyoman Sudharma recently outlined the bank’s digital initiatives, including QRIS cross-border services to several Asian markets such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, as well as planned coverage for China and South Korea, according to a July 2026 report by local outlet Detik Bali. Sudharma said the bank is continuing to develop QRIS-related features and supporting technology on its BPD Bali Mobile application to expand acceptance with partner banks.

Bank Indonesia and the Bank of Korea have already launched a national-level QRIS cross-border payment linkage, enabling Indonesians to pay in South Korea using QRIS through domestic applications without exchanging foreign currency. Payments are settled directly in rupiah and won, making transactions more efficient and cost-effective, according to Bank Indonesia’s April 1, 2026 news release and subsequent coverage by international payments and travel industry publications.

National QRIS link with South Korea

In its official announcement, Bank Indonesia stated that the Indonesia–South Korea QR cross-border payment linkage became operational on April 1, 2026, following earlier cooperation with the Bank of Korea. The central bank explained that Indonesians can make payments in South Korea simply by scanning partner QR codes using domestic QRIS-enabled applications, while South Korean visitors can use their own QR payment systems at QRIS merchants in Indonesia.

The implementation is being rolled out in stages. Bank Indonesia’s release lists a group of Indonesian banks and payment service providers whose QRIS applications are live for use in South Korea, with additional institutions — including BPD Bali — named for phased implementation. This approach is intended to support a more integrated, efficient and inclusive payment system between the two countries.

Industry reports covering the launch note that settlement occurs directly in local currencies, avoiding the double conversion through US dollars often seen in card-based cross-border transactions. They also highlight that the service is expected to facilitate tourism and trade flows by making everyday purchases simpler for travelers, including trips to destinations such as Bali.

BPD Bali’s cross-border QRIS ambitions

Sudharma has positioned BPD Bali as an active participant in QRIS innovation, including cross-border QR payments. In the July 2026 interview, he linked these efforts to a broader program of strengthening the bank’s information-technology systems and security controls, from mobile banking development to QRIS features such as NFC-based payments and API integrations to widen merchant acceptance.

While Bank Indonesia has identified BPD Bali as part of the phased rollout of QRIS cross-border connectivity with South Korea, the bank has not publicly confirmed a go-live date for its own implementation, nor detailed how many Bali merchants will be onboarded or which specific South Korean payment applications will be supported. For now, the national QRIS link is operational, and BPD Bali is working to align its digital services and infrastructure with that framework.

South Korean arrivals in Bali

The potential demand for QRIS-based payments from South Korea is supported by recent tourism data. The Bali Provincial Tourism Office’s 2025 statistics report shows that Bali recorded 346,679 visits by tourists from South Korea in January–December 2025, a 4.99 percent increase from 294,024 arrivals in 2024. The report notes that South Korean visitors formed one of the larger foreign tourist groups in Bali during that year.

With QRIS cross-border payments now available at the national level, the development of bank-level services such as those planned by BPD Bali is expected to offer South Korean tourists more seamless transactions at Bali merchants once the regional bank’s implementation is fully in place.

Sources

• Bank Indonesia – News release: Indonesia and South Korea Officially Connect with QR Payments
• Travel and Tour World – Indonesia Transforms Asian Travel with Seamless QR Payments and Village Tourism
• Crowdfund Insider – Indonesia, South Korea Launch Cross-Border QR Payments In Local Currencies
• BCA – Press release: BCA Supports the Implementation of QRIS Cross Border in South Korea
• Detik Bali – Raih Kinerja Positif Triwulan II 2026, BPD Bali Naik Kelas ke KBMI 2
• Globe Credit Cards – Cards & Payments in Indonesia 2026 — Guide for Foreigners
• Bali Provincial Tourism Office (Disparda Bali) – Statistik Pariwisata Provinsi Bali 2025