UnionPay International, along with its partners, has recently unveiled the pilot implementation of cross-border QR payment connectivity between China and Indonesia.

In this initial phase, certain users from mainland China will be able to utilize the UnionPay App and Alipay app for making QR payments at designated QRIS merchants in Indonesia. Simultaneously, a select group of pilot merchants within the UnionPay and Alipay networks on the Chinese mainland are expected to start accepting QR payments from 22 key Indonesian mobile payment applications.

Further details on the pilot program

Following an official press release, this cross-border QR payment linkage is seen as a crucial project executed within the Government-to-Government (G2G) framework, under the supervision of both countries’ central banks. UnionPay International initiated formal cooperation agreements with several entities including the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI), Ant International, and Bank of China (Hong Kong) Jakarta Branch in January 2025.

Subsequent to these initial steps, additional agreements were signed with four major switch networks in Indonesia—Rintis, ALTO, Artajasa, and Jalin—as well as Ant International and Alipay to expedite the project’s progress. Under the terms of the agreement between both central banks, transactions within this QR payment linkage are anticipated to be settled in local currencies.

During the sandbox phase, only selected participants and merchants will have access until the completion of this pilot program, slated for full operation by 2025. Additionally, UnionPay is planning to extend cross-border QR payment connectivity with payment networks across 19 other countries and regions outside China, aiming to enhance cross-border payment interoperability.