Netzme Expands Cross-Border QRIS Reach, Connecting Indonesian SMEs with China's Digital Ecosystem

In recent years, Indonesia’s digital payment system has undergone a major transformation. QRIS, initially created for domestic payment standardisation, is now stepping far beyond national borders.

PT Netzme Kreasi Indonesia (Netzme), a Category 1 Payment Service Provider licensed by Bank Indonesia, has announced its participation as one of the first movers in the implementation of the Indonesia-China cross-border QRIS. The presence of this integration is not merely a technical update but a strategic step to expand QRIS’s function as a bridge for cross-border payments.

This is considered highly relevant for payment app users, tourists, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) looking to expand their market reach. With this system, transactions between the two countries can be conducted more efficiently without the hassle of manual currency conversion.

Netzme’s participation in this initiative represents support for Bank Indonesia’s and the People’s Bank of China’s (PBoC) agenda. The main focus is to strengthen inclusive payment connectivity and support the use of local currencies in every cross-border transaction.

For Indonesian business owners, the benefits offered are straightforward yet significantly impactful: customers from China can pay digitally through their apps at connected QRIS merchants, while funds will still be received by merchants in rupiah according to the applicable mechanism. CEO of PT Netzme Kreasi Indonesia, Vicky G Saputra, stated that the Indonesia-China cross-border QRIS is crucial infrastructure for national digital economic readiness.

“The Indonesia-China cross-border QRIS is not just a new payment feature. It is infrastructure that makes Indonesian MSMEs more ready to serve global consumers, especially tourists and travellers from China,” said Vicky on Wednesday (6/5/2026).

According to him, Netzme’s role as a Payment Service Provider operating on both issuer and acquirer sides provides flexibility advantages. “Netzme can deliver benefits on two sides, namely Indonesian users can transact more easily in China through Netzme Pay, while Indonesian merchants can receive payments from Chinese tourists through Toko Netzme and Netzme QRIS Soundbox,” Vicky explained.

This implementation began on 30 April 2026 with a scheme divided into two main parts to ensure ease of access for both users and merchants. First, the Issuer Side (Netzme Pay). Users of the Netzme Pay app can now make payments at various merchants in China that support the cross-border QRIS scheme. Users simply need to scan the available QR code at the merchant directly from the app.

Second, the Acquirer Side (Toko Netzme). Merchants and MSMEs partnered with Netzme can now accept payments from Chinese tourists using popular payment apps such as Alipay and UnionPay.

This step is taken given that QRIS has become a highly dominant retail payment infrastructure in Indonesia. Bank Indonesia data shows that QRIS acceptance has reached 44 million merchants, the majority of which are MSMEs, with a total of 61.7 million users as of the first quarter of 2026.

This growth is also evident in cross-border transaction figures. Recorded inbound QRIS transactions reached 2.79 million transactions worth Rp713.59 billion, while outbound transactions reached 737,647 transactions valued at Rp249.26 billion in the same period.

Vicky said Netzme’s current focus is to ensure this technology is truly implemented well in the field. “The growth of QRIS shows that digital payments are no longer just an additional facility but a main infrastructure for businesses. Netzme’s focus is to ensure innovations like cross-border QRIS can truly be used in the field by merchants, not stopping as technology,” he stated.