QRIS Tap Not Yet Available on iPhones: Here’s Why

Indonesia’s central bank is pushing forward with the rollout of its QRIS Tap contactless payment system, but iPhone users remain excluded due to Apple’s restrictions on Near Field Communication (NFC) access. While QRIS Tap adoption is growing, particularly in the transportation, hotel, and restaurant sectors, the inability of iPhones to utilize the feature represents a notable gap in the country’s digital payment infrastructure.

Bank Indonesia (BI) confirmed that discussions with Apple are yet to begin, despite acknowledging the limitation. “We haven’t actually talked to Apple at all, so we’re just trying it out,” said Himawan Kusprianto, Deputy Director of the Payment System Policy Department at BI, during an event last October. The central bank hopes to persuade Apple to open access to its NFC feature, which is already present in iPhones, to enable QRIS Tap functionality.

The core issue lies in Apple’s global policy, which currently restricts full NFC access for local applications in Indonesia. This prevents services like QRIS Tap from operating on iOS devices, even though the hardware is technically capable of supporting the technology. As Filianingsih Hendarta, a Deputy Governor at BI, explained, “Apple Indonesia and headquarter have come and they will delve into the QRIS Tap feature to see the possibility of opening its NFC feature as they have done in the European Union.”

QRIS Tap represents an evolution of the existing QRIS system, moving beyond the traditional method of scanning QR codes. Instead, it leverages NFC technology, allowing users to complete transactions by simply tapping their phones against a payment terminal. This offers a faster and more convenient payment experience, particularly for high-frequency transactions in sectors like public transport and retail.

Currently, QRIS Tap is exclusively available on Android devices with active NFC capabilities and compatible payment applications. The system has already processed over 475,000 transactions, demonstrating a monthly growth rate of approximately 7.9 percent. The total transaction value reached around Rp 4.6 billion, representing a 6.4 percent month-over-month increase.

The expansion of QRIS Tap aligns with BI’s broader strategy to digitalize Indonesia’s national payment system. The central bank’s 2026 targets, already surpassed in terms of user numbers, included onboarding 45 million merchants and processing 17 billion QRIS transactions. BI is also actively pursuing cross-border QRIS cooperation, with existing acceptance in several Southeast Asian countries, Japan, and parts of the Middle East, and planned expansions to China, South Korea, and India. South Korea is scheduled to begin implementing QRIS in April 2026.

The situation highlights a broader challenge for fintech innovation in Indonesia: navigating the policies of major international technology companies. While Apple Pay itself is not currently available in Indonesia, the company’s control over NFC access effectively limits the functionality of competing payment systems on its devices. This contrasts with the more open approach in regions like the European Union, where Apple has been compelled to allow greater access to NFC for third-party applications.

BI is optimistic that the success of QRIS Tap on Android will incentivize Apple to reconsider its stance. The central bank believes that demonstrating the benefits of the technology to a wider user base could create a compelling case for opening up NFC access in Indonesia. However, the timeline for any potential change remains uncertain.

Despite the iPhone limitation, BI reports that QRIS user numbers have exceeded 60 million, achieving the central bank’s 2026 target ahead of schedule. This growth underscores the increasing adoption of digital payments in Indonesia, driven by convenience, accessibility, and government initiatives. The central bank is also looking ahead to its 2030 blueprint, targeting a significant increase in digital payment activity to 150 million transactions per day, up from approximately 47 million currently.

The ongoing discussions between BI and Apple represent a key test case for the future of digital payments in Indonesia. Resolving the NFC access issue will be crucial for ensuring that all Indonesians, regardless of their smartphone platform, can benefit from the convenience and efficiency of QRIS Tap and other innovative payment solutions.