Indonesia-Malaysia QR code payments get started under ASEAN system

Cross border scheme could cut transaction costs by 30%, offer exchange rate buffer

20230601 ASEAN QR code

Indonesians and Malaysians are being brought closer together by an ASEAN initiative that makes cross-border payments easier and cheaper. (Source photos by Getty Images and logo from ASEAN BAC INDONESIA's website)

AMY CHEW, Contributing writer

KUALA LUMPUR -- A regional cross-border system for making payments in local currencies is gaining traction among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with direct transactions between the Malaysian ringgit and Indonesian rupiah now available.

Malaysians traveling to Indonesia can now pay for retail goods and services by scanning quick response (QR) codes with their mobile phones, and so can Indonesians in Malaysia. Payments are settled using the local currency, bypassing the need for U.S. dollars as an intermediary -- and potentially saving up to 30% in transaction costs.

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