Digital payments increasingly integrated into consumer experience: Visa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Digital payment trends are evolving towards transactions that are increasingly integrated into the consumer experience, mobile-first, and capable of being used across borders, according to Director and Commercial Solutions Lead at Visa Indonesia, Gede Widhi. He noted that this development surpasses the initial trend of digitalisation, which was primarily marked by the shift from cash to non-cash transactions. “The current trend, which we see continuing into the future, is how digital payments become seamless and embedded in each customer or consumer journey,” Gede said at the UOB Media Editors Circle 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that consumers now expect payments to be part of a single transaction flow, allowing the process from selecting a product or service to completing the payment to be done in a more integrated manner. “The expectation now is that everything can be covered on one platform, in one unified journey,” he stated.

Gede identified three key trends expected to continue growing: payments that are deeply embedded in the consumer experience, a mobile-first approach, and the increasing need for borderless payments. He noted that mobile devices are becoming increasingly important as various consumer activities, from accessing services to completing transactions, are now predominantly conducted via smartphones. Meanwhile, rising public mobility and access to merchants in other countries are amplifying the need for payment systems that can be used more easily across borders. This development coincides with the growth of national digital transactions. Bank Indonesia (BI) recorded that the volume of digital payments reached 16.07 billion transactions in the second quarter of 2026, growing 36.88 percent year-on-year. During the same period, transactions via mobile applications grew 31.39 percent, internet transactions rose 16.88 percent, and QRIS transactions surged by 100.12 percent annually.

Amid increasingly simplified payment processes, Gede stressed that security must remain an intrinsic part of digital service development. “The keywords here are, first, seamless, and second, I want to highlight that even though it is seamless, security must be maintained,” he said. He argued that fraud prevention systems need to be integrated with payment innovations so that increased ease of transactions does not lead to higher risks for consumers. He cited biometrics as one way to integrate security without significantly adding steps to the transaction process. Technologies such as face recognition or fingerprints can be used for payment authentication. Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to increasingly influence how consumers transact. Gede revealed that Visa is currently running pilot projects in several countries related to agentic commerce, which involves AI-based agents in the purchasing and payment process. “We are currently conducting a pilot in several countries where all payments can be made through agentic commerce, or what we call AI agentic commerce,” he said.

From a national policy perspective, Bank Indonesia is also continuing to develop Quick Response Indonesian Standard (QRIS) innovations, including QRIS Tanpa Tatap Muka (remote QRIS), QRIS Tuntas for cash withdrawals, transfers and deposits, QRIS Antarnegara (cross-border QRIS), and QRIS Tanpa Pindai (TAP). The cross-border QRIS is aimed at facilitating transactions for tourists and businesses while strengthening payment system connectivity between Indonesia and partner countries. Gede assessed that the development of digital payments can ultimately benefit consumers through transactional ease, while helping businesses improve operational efficiency.