Bali guide › Organise your stay
How do I pay in Bali: cash, card or ATM?
There is no real rule. Cards work in hotels, restaurants and shops in tourist areas; cash is better in warungs (small local restaurants), markets, temples and for drivers; and ATMs inside banks are the way to get that cash. The currency is the rupiah (IDR), and in October 2026 US$1 bought about IDR 17,900. The rate moves a lot, so check it live.
- ATMs: use machines inside banks or shopping centres (BCA, Mandiri and BNI are big banks), not stand-alone machines on the street, because skimming (card cloning) happens. Cover the keypad. Limits are often IDR 2 to 3 million per withdrawal (about US$110 to 170), plus a local fee of roughly IDR 25,000 to 50,000 (US$1.40 to 2.80) on top of your own bank's.
- Money changers: use only authorised ones, displaying an "Authorized Money Changer" sign and the Bank Indonesia QR code. Be suspicious of rates that beat the rest, count the notes yourself, and ask for IDR 100,000 notes.
- Cards: accepted in hotels, restaurants and malls, sometimes with a surcharge. Always pay in rupiah, never in your home currency, since that rate can hide 5 to 7% or more. Contactless phone payments are increasingly accepted.
- QRIS: Indonesia's QR payment standard, found almost everywhere in the south. Whether a foreign card or app works with it depends on your own bank or provider, so check before you travel, and do not rely on it around Munduk, Sidemen or Kintamani.
- Tips and the "++": on menus, "++" means service charge and tax are added to the bill. Tipping is not expected, but rounding up or leaving 5 to 10% for good service is appreciated.
- Tourist levy: IDR 150,000 per person (about US$8), to pay online before you arrive. See "Do I need a visa for Bali?".
Carry small notes for parking, donations and small purchases, and avoid torn or very worn notes, which some shops refuse.
Verdict: one debit card for ATMs in banks, a second card as a backup kept in a different place, and some cash. Exchange dollars only as an emergency reserve.
Tip: withdraw the maximum the machine allows from an ATM inside a bank, so you pay the fixed fee less often, and consider a Revolut-type card, which lets you hold an account directly in rupiah and so pay like a local with no fee (link it to your Grab account too, for taxi rides for example).
Checked in October 2026. Exchange rates, fees and limits change: check your bank before you travel.