April 12, 2023
JAKARTA – Most Indonesians are ready to go cashless, embracing digital payment methods because they offer simplicity and security, a survey found.
According to the latest Consumer Payment Attitudes Study from global payment giant Visa, around 67 percent of the country’s population is prepared to ditch cash.
The survey, for which around 1,000 consumers in Indonesia were queried last year, shows the trend is dominated by the younger generation, Generation Z, followed by Generation Y and the affluent segment.
It shows mobile wallets and QR codes have become the most popular payment methods in the country with a usage rate of 93 percent. Their usage is driven by purchases of ride-hailing services, entertainment, retail purchases and the payment of bills.
Following mobile wallets and QR codes, the next most-used payment method is credit and debit cards with a usage rate of 80 percent.
“We see this [trend] as an opportunity to increase partnerships with all stakeholders to facilitate consumers in using digital payments,” Visa Indonesia president director Riko Abdurrahman said at a press conference on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.
The rise in cashless payment methods corresponds to a dip in the usage of cash from 87 percent in 2021 to 84 percent last year, according to the survey.
The survey touches on aspects beyond payments as well. It reveals around 80 percent of the respondents plan to increase their savings to prepare for upcoming financial challenges after the pandemic.
“The ease and comfort of digital payments allow people to track their spending and manage their budget. Thus, their financial literacy has also improved,” Riko explained.
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One push factor for cashless transactions is the central bank’s support for such technology by providing the necessary infrastructure. As part of the Indonesia Payment System Blueprint 2025 (BSPI), Bank Indonesia (BI) launched the Indonesian Standard QR Code (QRIS) in May 2019 and digital payment platform BI-FAST in December 2021.
In order to increase their usage, the central bank is expanding those methods beyond national borders. QRIS and BI-FAST are currently available in Thailand and are expected to be up and running in other countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, soon.
Conventional banks, digital banks as well as fintech players like GoPay, OVO, ShopeePay, Dana and LinkAja have been flocking to participate in the new infrastructure and provide the service to their respective customers.
Last year, BI announced the value of transaction via QRIS had more than tripled to Rp 100 trillion (US$6.7 billion). Meanwhile, overall electronic money transactions grew in value by 31 percent to almost Rp 400 trillion in 2022 and are expected to amount to Rp 495.2 trillion this year.
Aside from that, the transaction value of digital banking rose by 29 percent to Rp 52.55 quadrillion and is forecast to hit Rp 64.18 quadrillion this year.