CIMB Niaga Facilitates AliPay and WeChat Payments in Indonesia

PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk (CIMB Niaga) is ready to facilitate inbound cross-border QR payment transactions for tourists, workers, and people from China who use AliPay and WeChat Pay digital wallets at partner merchants in Indonesia. These preparations are the result of CIMB Niaga's report to Bank Indonesia (BI) regarding CIMB Niaga as a bank that can accept digital payment transactions from Alipay, after previously receiving permission for WeChat Pay.

Currently, CIMB Niaga is listed as the only bank in Indonesia that can serve payments from the two digital wallets, as stated by Noviady Wahyudi, acting as CIMB Niaga's Director of Consumer Banking. This implementation is achieved through CIMB Niaga's cooperation with Ant Financial as the owner of AliPay and Tencent as the owner of WeChat Pay, as well as PT Arash Digital Rekadana (Jakarta) and Swiftpass Global Limited (Shenzhen) as system integrator and technical service provider.

Noviady stated in Jakarta, Thursday (3/11/2022) that the service can be enjoyed at CIMB Niaga partner merchants spread across tourist areas such as Jakarta, Bali, Lombok, Manado, as well as several international airports in Indonesia with the hope that this initiative contributes to the development of the tourism industry in Indonesia.

The implementation of AliPay and WeChat Pay transactions at CIMB Niaga merchants is done through the use of QR on the receiver of CIMB Niaga payment transactions consisted of electronic data capture (EDC) machines, Static QR (tent cards and stickers), and applications downloaded on merchant devices. The transaction is carried out in Rupiah currency in accordance with the amount agreed by the user and the merchant. For the record, AliPay and WeChat Pay digital wallet applications are exclusive to users from China with source of funds from Debit Card and Credit Card accounts issued in China. The link of these applications to CIMB Niaga provides convenience to users by removing the need to exchange cash in Rupiah or carry debit and credit cards, making it faster and safer.

To expand the availability of the service, CIMB Niaga will increase awareness and merchant acquisition, especially towards providers of tourism-related products and services such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir traders. "With the restoration of tourism activities in Indonesia and the increasing trend of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia this year, we are optimistic that AliPay and WeChat Pay digital wallet transactions at CIMB Niaga merchants will continue to increase. This will certainly contribute to providing foreign exchange for Indonesia as well as improving the local economy in tourist areas," said Noviady.