Can You Use Your Bank Card in Indonesia?

Whether you bank with Crédit Agricole, Crédit Mutuel, Caisse d'Épargne, BNP Paribas, or any other major French bank, it's entirely possible to use your bank card in Indonesia — but watch out for unpleasant surprises. Traditional financial institutions usually charge hefty fees to customers travelling abroad. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these excessive charges. Here they are.

Choosing the online bank Revolut for your trip to Indonesia

There's no better option than the online bank Revolut for having a bank card in Indonesia. This European company, regulated by France's Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), has tens of millions of users worldwide and carries no major fraud risk. You can trust them with your money without a second thought. Opening an account with them is completely free. Ordering a standard debit card, valid for five years, only costs the postage fee (around 5 to 6 euros). Once in Indonesia, you can withdraw up to 200 euros a month with no fees at all, and any withdrawals beyond that are only charged at two percent. As for payments, you can spend up to 1,100 euros a month without being charged, with a one percent fee applied beyond that. So even if you go over these limits, Revolut's fees remain far lower than those charged by traditional banks. Boursorama and N26 are also excellent online banks offering debit cards for fee-free withdrawals in Indonesia.

Exchanging money in Indonesia at licensed exchange offices

Don't feel like bothering with opening an online bank account and would rather deal in cash? Exchanging money in Indonesia is a viable and generally cost-effective option. The idea is to withdraw your euros before boarding your flight and then exchange them for local currency once you arrive. You're allowed to carry up to one hundred million Indonesian rupiah (around five thousand euros) on a flight to Indonesia without having to declare it at customs. Once in Jakarta, or any other city in the archipelago, head to official establishments. Avoid doing this kind of transaction at the airport, as rates there are higher than elsewhere. Also steer clear of small, flashy-looking shops offering tempting deals — they won't hesitate to slip a few notes under the counter if you're not careful. Your best bet is to head straight to Indonesian banks like Mandiri, BNI, or BRI. The staff you'll deal with will be serious and professional. Although the service is slightly more expensive, the exchange will be done properly. This alternative to Revolut is therefore perfectly workable, but keep in mind that walking around with wads of cash in your pockets in a country where poverty is widespread isn't the wisest idea.

Making bank transfers with Wise in Indonesia

Our third tip for cutting costs is to turn to the Wise app in Indonesia to pay for accommodation or activities on the ground. Like Revolut, Wise is a hugely popular banking app among travellers and expats for sending money abroad. Much cheaper than the well-known Western Union, transfers with Wise are flawless: fast, secure, and affordable. All you need to do is ask for the bank details of the guesthouse you plan to stay at or the dive centre you want to book, then pay online. No more need to withdraw cash or exchange euros — everything is sorted out in advance. Once you've created your free Wise account, you'll be guided through the whole process. The user experience is perfectly intuitive. We obviously recommend using this method with well-established hosts who have great reviews online or who've been directly recommended to you. It's fairly risky to pay upfront to strangers whose trustworthiness you can't verify.

Common issues with bank cards in Indonesia

You now know that Revolut is the best option for a bank card in Indonesia, that exchanging money should be done at the counters of major local banks, and that the Wise app is ideal for transfers from France. Here are our last two finance tips. First, Indonesian ATMs can sometimes be temperamental. For example: you withdraw a certain amount, the machine confirms the payment, your card is returned, but no cash comes out. In the vast majority of cases, the money will be debited from your account but refunded by your bank within a few days once the error is spotted. You can report it if you like, but the issue is usually picked up automatically by the banking systems. Don't panic. Still, it's a good habit to withdraw smaller amounts and split up your transactions. If you need 5 million, withdraw one million five times rather than all 5 million at once — that way, any glitch will be far less costly. Finally, keep an eye on the Indonesian rupiah exchange rate. Depending on market conditions, you might get one million IDR for 60 euros on July 3rd, and one million IDR for fifty euros on July 15th. Be smart about it.