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What currency does Indonesia use and how do you pay?

The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR), and US$1 is worth about 18,000 IDR: a 100,000 IDR note is roughly US$5.50. Cash is still king outside hotels and tourist restaurants; the easiest way to get it is from an ATM with your bank card.

Notes range from 1,000 to 100,000 IDR (the red one). You become a millionaire very quickly, and that's when mistakes happen: count the zeros before handing over a note.

How to pay, depending on the situation:

Cash: warung, markets, small shops, local boats, site entrances, tips. Always keep small notes: vendors often can't break a 100,000 IDR note.
Card: hotels, shopping centres, restaurants and convenience stores in tourist areas. Some vendors add a 2–3% surcharge.
QR code (QRIS): everywhere, from food stalls to taxis, but it runs through local payment apps: cash remains your fallback.

How to use an ATM:

Choose a machine attached to a bank (BCA, Mandiri, BNI, BRI), ideally indoors: card skimming happens on isolated machines.
Each withdrawal is capped, often between 1.5 and 3 million IDR (US$85 to US$165): you can make several in a row, but your own bank may charge for each one.
Always decline the conversion offered by the ATM or card terminal: pay and withdraw in rupiah and let your bank convert, at a better rate.
Some machines return your card AFTER the cash: don't walk off too fast.

To exchange cash, use an authorised money changer, never a shop advertising a rate that's too good to be true: the classic scam is recounting the notes in front of you while palming a few. Count them yourself, at the counter. On remote islands, ATMs are rare or out of order: arrive with enough cash.

Verdict: a card with no foreign transaction fees for withdrawals, a second card as backup, and some US dollars or your home currency in reserve; cash does the rest.

Tip: tell your bank you're travelling and check your withdrawal limits BEFORE you leave: a card blocked for a 'suspicious transaction' on a Sunday in Flores means several days without money.

Information checked in November 2026 (US$1 ≈ 18,000 IDR). Check before you travel.

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What currency does Indonesia use and how do you pay?

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