LinkAja: Zero Percent QRIS MDR Policy Can Encourage MSMEs to Go Digital

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chief Executive Officer of PT Fintek Karya Nusantara (LinkAja) Yogi Rizkian Bahar believes the expansion of the zero percent Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) policy for QRIS can encourage micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to shift from cash transactions to digital transactions.

The policy of charging zero percent service fees on every transaction made using the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) payment code, according to him, can encourage merchants who previously chose to accept cash payments to switch to digital payment methods.

“Merchants will compete to create QRIS. They will compete, previously cash, now using QRIS, ‘I don’t get deducted’,” Yogi said at the LinkAja Executive Media Luncheon in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He noted that MSME players are generally still sensitive to the imposition of fees on payment transactions.

“The MSME business is a business that is very sensitive to price. When we shop for Rp20,000 and it is deducted to Rp19,000 something, it feels somehow, the merchant is sad,” he said.

“With cash there is no deduction, Rp20,000 is Rp20,000. If now using QRIS, I have to be deducted, even though the deduction is not large,” he said.

“So, we consider that this push will further increase QRIS in terms of capability and volume. That means transactions can become exponential and we support it,” Yogi said.

Bank Indonesia will expand the zero percent QRIS MDR policy for small, medium and large businesses starting 1 October 2026.

In this case, the zero percent MDR will be applied, among others, to transactions worth up to Rp500,000 at micro enterprises and transactions worth up to Rp100,000 at small, medium and large enterprises.

Transactions worth up to Rp100,000 at educational institutions and fuel filling stations will also not be subject to service fees under the policy.

In addition, the zero percent MDR is applied to transactions at public service agencies, public service bodies, and government services such as tax processing, passports, and social assistance.

Yogi said the expansion of the zero percent MDR could increase the use of QRIS among business players as well as the utilisation of digital payment services in Indonesia.