Русский
Sberbank has enabled users of its mobile application to pay for purchases in Indonesia via a QR code compatible with Indonesia’s unified QR code standard, QRIS. These QR-code payments can be accepted at over 40 million sales points across Indonesia, Sberbank has said.
In order to make a payment, users must scan the QRIS-standard QR code using the Sberbank Online application. The sum of the purchase is displayed on the user’s smartphone screen in Indonesian Rupiahs and Russian Rubles. Payment is made locally in Rupiah and deducted from the user’s Ruble account in Russia at the prevailing exchange rate. As the transaction is made using Indonesian and Russian satellite telecommunications networks, it completely avoids SWIFT.
Indonesia is now the 13th country to have enabled QR payments via the Sberbank application. This method of payment is also available in Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Over 180,000 Russian tourists visit Indonesia annually, with figures growing by nearly 12% year-over-year to set historical records. The majority of these visitors travel to Bali, where over 75% of Russian tourists spend their time. Russians typically stay for longer periods compared to other nationalities, recording an average visit length of more than 26 nights.
Russia and Indonesia also have a Free Trade Agreement via the Eurasian Economic Union, which is expected to double bilateral trade to US$10 billion by 2030.
