BI expands QRIS cross-border payment services as BRI merchants integrate with Alipay and UnionPay

PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI) continues to strengthen its commitment to delivering relevant digital payment solutions by enabling merchants to receive payments from Alipay and UnionPay users easily, securely, and in real time via BRI’s QRIS EDC service. This innovation is a strategic move by BRI to support businesses in expanding their market reach, particularly in serving international customers, including foreign tourists and global business operators who primarily use Alipay and UnionPay for payments. BRI is currently enhancing the implementation of BI’s QRIS cross-border system, which is now connected in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, and China. BRI’s QRIS is a QR code-based payment acceptance service integrated directly into BRI’s EDC devices. In each transaction, the system generates a unique QR code in real time, ensuring more accurate and efficient payment processing while enhancing transaction security for merchants. BRI’s Director of Network and Retail Funding, Aquarius Rudianto, stated that this innovation is part of BRI’s efforts to strengthen an inclusive and globally competitive digital payment ecosystem. “Access to international payment methods is a critical need for businesses, especially those interacting with foreign customers. Through this innovation, BRI provides a practical, secure, and real-time solution for merchants to receive cross-border payments,” said Aquarius. Aquarius added that the service is also expected to boost merchant business growth and support increased transactions in the tourism and trade sectors. With this solution, merchants not only gain ease in accepting cross-border payments but also enjoy a seamless transaction experience. Customers simply scan the QR code using the Alipay or UnionPay app, and the system automatically verifies the payment within seconds. As global mobility and the tourism sector grow, BRI merchants connected to Alipay and UnionPay present opportunities for businesses to enhance their competitiveness. From a security perspective, QRIS offers enhanced protection as each code is valid for a single transaction only, minimising duplication and misuse risks while ensuring accurate payment recording. Moreover, real-time transaction processing enables merchants to verify payments immediately and continue serving customers without interruption. BRI also ensures merchant comfort with 24/7 support services to swiftly and responsively resolve transaction issues at business locations. The process for receiving payments via BRI QRIS from Alipay and UnionPay users is as follows: - Merchant selects the ‘Generate QR’ option on BRI EDC devices. - Merchant enters the transaction amount based on the customer’s payment. - The EDC system automatically generates a QR code for the transaction. - Merchant displays the QR code for the customer to scan. - Customers scan the code using the Alipay or UnionPay app. - The system verifies the transaction in real time. - Merchants receive a notification of successful transaction. - BRI EDC prints a receipt as proof of payment. In line with strengthening digital transformation and expanding cross-border payment ecosystems, the implementation of BI’s QRIS cross-border system for Indonesia-China is a strategic step towards enhancing efficient and inclusive regional payment connectivity. This initiative is the result of collaboration between Bank Indonesia (BI), the Indonesian Payment Systems Association (ASPI), and the national banking and payment service industries to expand the global interoperability of Indonesia’s digital payments. Through the implementation of BI’s QRIS cross-border system for Indonesia-China, Indonesian citizens and Chinese tourists can make payments more easily using their respective domestic payment apps without needing to exchange cash. The service is expected to strengthen the digital payment ecosystem, support tourism and SME growth, and enhance cross-border transaction efficiency.