Launch of Pilot Cross-Border QR Payment System Connects China and Indonesia

On September 11, 2025, a significant milestone was reached in cross-border financial operations as UnionPay International (UPI), in partnership with key stakeholders, announced the pilot commencement of a cross-border QR payment linkage between China and Indonesia. This initiative, led by the central banks of both nations, aims to facilitate seamless mobile transactions for users across borders, thereby enhancing economic cooperation and convenience.

During the inauguration event held in Beijing, an actual test transaction was executed using an Indonesian mobile payment application. In addition, users present in Jakarta, who had been whitelisted, successfully made transactions via the UnionPay and Alipay apps by scanning the QRIS, Indonesia’s standardized QR code. At this stage in the sandbox phase, selected users from mainland China can utilize these two popular payment apps at over 40 million QRIS merchants across Indonesia. Simultaneously, pilot merchants within the UnionPay and Alipay networks on the Chinese mainland are enabled to accept QR payments from 22 prevalent Indonesian mobile payment apps.

It’s important to highlight that the current phase of testing is exclusive to whitelisted participants and merchants. The ultimate goal is to have the cross-border QR payment linkage fully operational by 2025 upon the successful completion of this sandbox phase. This project represents a crucial element of G2G (Government-to-Government) collaboration between Indonesia and China, thus marking a critical advancement in financial technological integration between the two nations.

In January 2025, UPI signed a cooperation memorandum with the Indonesian Payment System Association (ASPI), Ant International, and the Bank of China (Jakarta Branch). Following this, UPI also established separate cooperation agreements with four key switch networks in Indonesia—Rintis, ALTO, Artajasa, and Jalin—alongside partnerships with Ant International and Alipay to expedite the project’s realization.

According to the understanding between the central banks, cross-border QR payments will be conducted in the respective local currencies of China and Indonesia. This arrangement is not only designed to simplify mobile payments for users of both countries but also assists merchants in attracting a larger customer base. Moreover, this project is regarded as a pivotal step for UnionPay in collaboration with the broader industry to develop a novel four-party system that optimally benefits all participants, while advancing its own interests.

To date, UnionPay has established or is in the process of forming cross-border QR payment linkages with payment networks in 19 countries and regions outside of mainland China. Looking ahead, UnionPay is committed to further enhancing connectivity within the cross-border payment landscape, promoting robust international transaction systems.

As global commerce increasingly relies on digital payments, initiatives like this are set to redefine financial interactions, simplifying the complexities of cross-border trade and fostering a more integrated economic environment. The implications of this pilot project extend beyond mere transactions, as it lays the foundation for future innovations in payment systems that can support an even broader range of services and functionalities.