Bali is very accommodating when it comes to paying for your holiday expenses and cashless payments are on the rise. The local population uses several payment apps and QR code payment systems which are working smoothly and very efficiently. As a tourist, usually one does not have access to those payment gateways, nevertheless using credit cards, pulling money from ATM machines and changing money is easy.
Indonesia uses the rupiah (IDR) as its official currency. Since some of its bills contain a lot of zeroes, it might seem like you have enough money to buy a private island when, in reality, you probably only have enough to buy you a meal.
The official currency symbol is IDR, but very often you can see Rp. being used.
Contrary to what might expect the Indonesian Rupiah has been pretty stable over the years.
You can check the current rates here:
Click for Exchange Rate and Currency Converter
Very Roughly: IDR 100,000 equals
AUD 10
USD 7
EUR 6
Indian Rupee 550
There are coins with the value of Rp. 50, Rp. 100, Rp. 200, Rp. 500 and Rp. 1,000
Because of their low value, people kind of try to avoid using them.
Notes are available at Rp. 1,000, Rp. 2,000, Rp. 5,000, Rp. 10,000, Rp. 20,000, Rp. 50,000, and Rp. 100,000,-
You are not allowed to bring cash into the country that exceeds the value of IDR 100,000,000, otherwise a declaration must be filed, and you will have to pay a tax on the total amount.
Visa and MasterCard are the most accepted credit cards in Bali. Only a few hotels and restaurants do take Amex, Diners Club even less.
Credit card acceptance is widespread in today’s retail establishments, especially in Bali’s high-traffic areas where tourists frequent. Hotels, restaurants, shops (not the “hole in the wall”-shops) will accept your card,
However, you shouldn’t rely on your plastic as much as you would in more remote places the only acceptable way of payment.
Therefore, most places accept credit cards, but some of the smaller ones, as well as hotels, guesthouses, and home-stays, tack on a 3% surcharge. This is because businesses incur a fee of 2% or more when using credit cards, and small and private vendors will pass along that cost to the consumer. Even though it’s not “correct” from the perspective of the credit card companies terms and conditions, you can’t argue your case when this happens.
Yes!
the many small shops selling souvenirs and gadgets will most likely accept credit cards. These are also the places where you rarely find price tags and bargaining is common to get a fair price for your souvenirs.
Smaller restaurants and local Warungs (local restaurants) might also not have a credit card machine.
We get asked also quite often if it is better to use cash or card for small purchases in Bali? Definitely a Yes!
As mentioned above Cash is still a very important form of payment in Bali, particularly in the smaller shops and also when you need to pay for your transportation, or if you need gasoline. The 100,000 bills are the largest bills. It’s useful if you take also some smaller bills with you. Small shops and street sellers might struggle to make change, so 50,000 and 20,000 notes will be needed.
Cash Tips
When you get to the airport, change some of your cash at one of the official money changers or get some money from an ATM using your credit card right after you got through the customs. There are plenty of money changers and ATM machines. You won’t miss them.
Particularly do so, if you get a cab from the airport to your hotel, so you can pay the driver. Getting a cab at the airport can be quite stressful and confusing. So we suggest to arrange and pre-book your airport transfer either via your hotel or you can pre-book here on Bali.com
Airport Shuttle and Transfer from Denpasar to your accommodation
(with a BaliCard you get 10% Discount)
Cash may be withdrawn from any of the many ATMs in Bali’s busiest locations using your international debit or credit card or a card from the MAESTRO CIRRUS network. You should bring extra money with you if you want to visit remote locations, such as the north of Bali or Nusa Penida, Ceningan Island.
Be aware that practically all money changers in Indonesia are quite picky about the condition of foreign notes they are willing to accept. If you must bring cash with you, please only bring in brand-new, crisp bills, since any bills that even seem slightly folded will not be accepted by banks and will only be exchanged at a discount by money changers.
The authorised money changers are the best option.
If at all possible, you should avoid exchanging currency at “hole in the wall” establishments. Most of them are fine. But…
If you have any leftover Rupiahs (IDR), you can exchange them into other currencies in Bali before boarding your international flight. Popular options include the Australian dollar, Euro, and US dollar. There is no way the exchange rate could be as favorable as it was just after the first exchange. Yet, you would receive a far worse rate if you tried to do the exchange at a bank in your own country (if they exchange it at all)
One can say, the small shops that don’t show any price tags are the places you definitely need to bargain. In most cases they will not accept credit cards anyways. So cash is king here.
Traveler’s Cheques are a “memory of the past”.
