Travel Money Guide: Indonesia

Whether it's Bali, Lombok or any of the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, you'll need to figure out the best way to access your money.

If you're sticking to a swanky resort in a built-up area like Bali, you'll be fine with a no-fee debit or credit card and access to some cash for any smaller purchases along the way, like souvenirs and quick meals. If you're doing it loval style in a villa or heading off the beaten track, then having more Indonesian Rupiah available in cash is a must.

Compare travel money options for Indonesia

• Travel Credit Cards
• Travel Debit Cards
• Prepaid Travel Money Cards

Travel card, credit card, or debit cards?

Whether you're on a quick business trip or taking a holiday, it's good to have an at least a couple of ways to access your money. There are currently no travel cards which allow you to load Indonesian rupiah. Compare travel credit cards and debit cards to take to Indonesia instead.

Choose a mix that suits your needs: for example a debit card for regular spending with a credit card for emergencies, or Indonesian currency supplemented by a debit card. Whatever mix you decide on, you want to have enough Indonesian currency in your pockets when travelling through Indonesia — even if it's enough for the first couple of days.

You're going to need to pay for a visa when you arrive in Indonesia. In places such as Denpasar airport, you have to pay cash, so make sure you have sufficient funds.

A quick summary of travel money options for Indonesia

Travel money option	Pros	Considerations
Debit cards for travel	Avoid currency conversion fees on foreign transactions Emergency cash facilities Ideal for managing your travel budget	Currency conversion and international ATM fees Can't be used over the counter No emergency cash No backup cards
Prepaid travel money cards	Protected by PIN & chip Pre-load and secure your exchange rate in multiple foreign currencies Accepted worldwide Emergency card replacement and backup cards Ideal for managing your travel budget	Local ATM fee Reloading time No fee - Assuming cardholder is spending on a currency loaded onto the card
Credit cards for travel	Protected by PIN & chip Access to funds up to your credit limit Accepted worldwide No currency conversion/ transaction fees Benefits including rewards points on spending, 0% purchases, frequent flyer perks Emergency card replacement	Can charge high withdrawal and cash advance fees Higher spending limit (depends on your approved credit limit)
Traveller's cheques	Secure and can be easily replaced if lost or stolen Photo I.D. needed to cash cheques	Can be costly with initial purchase charges Not all merchants accept traveller's cheques
Cash	Greater payment flexibility Convenience	More difficult to manage expenses Higher risk of theft

_{This table is a general summary of the travel money products in the market. Features and benefits can vary between cards.}

How much Rupiah do I need to bring to the Indonesia?

	Budget (Cheap)	Midrange	Luxury (High-end)
	Simple rooms less than 19.73AUD	Double rooms with air-con and wi-fi around 40-90AUD	Ayana Bali resort 1041-1561AUD
	Cheap street meals from 1.33AUD	Average full meal 2.64-4.00AUD	Western food 11.94AUD
	Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park 8.64AUD	Mt. Batur hike40-79AUD	2 Day All-Inclusive Orangutan Trek in Bukit Lawang 101.51 AUD

^{*Prices are approximate and are subject to change.}

Exchange rate history (AUD to IDR)

Year	Average annual exchange Australian Dollar (AUD) to Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
2012	9706.258562
2013	10062.17388
2014	10688.816057
2015	10063.65457
2016	9892.614214
2017	10164.218924

^{*Exchange rates are accurate as of 3 September 2017}

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Today's exchange rate AUD to IDR

How the different travel money products work in Indonesia

Using prepaid travel cards

If you're looking at taking a travel money card to Indonesia, think again. There are no travel money cards on the market that allow you to load and spend in Indonesian rupiah. Having said that, there are a couple of travel cards which may be suitable to take to Indonesia, including the CommBank Travel Money Card. One drawback, however, is that the CBA card charges the Visa or Mastercard currency conversion fee, plus 4.5%.

These cards should only really be considered if Indonesia is the first leg of your international holiday. The CommBank Travel Money Card offers up to 13 different international currencies and can be used all over the world. Furthermore, the Commonwealth Bank have a large number of ATMs and branches in Bali and Indonesia where you can use your CBA travel, debit or credit card and avoid the international ATM fee. However, due to the lack of support for Indonesian rupiah, the exchange rate margin when you load the card with funds and the fee structure, there are cheaper products to use in Indonesia than a travel card.

Travel credit cards with no foreign transaction fee

A credit card can be useful when travelling overseas – especially when it comes to big ticket items you may want to pay off over a couple of months, or hotel check-in where a deposit is required. Credit cards also give you access to emergency cash if you need it, and some credit cards have handy benefits like complimentary travel insurance when you charge the cost of your travel ticket to your account.

However, credit cards can be expensive, especially when it comes withdrawing cash at an ATM. Interest is charged straight away and you'll pay a cash advance fee. You may be able to avoid this keeping a positive balance on your card — each credit card issuer has different rules for keeping a positive balance. Read the FAQs section of our travel money page for more information.

Taking a debit card in Indonesia

Most debit cards on the market charge a 2-3% fee when you make a purchase outside of Australia. In fact, there's only one debit card available at the moment which waives the currency conversion fee: the Citibank Plus Transaction Account.

Using traveller's cheques

Traveller's cheques may not be as popular today as they used to be but they still offer some important advantages over other forms of travel money. When travelling to Indonesia, traveller's cheques have the added security of needing ID to be cashed. Plus, if they get lost or stolen, they can be replaced in a few days. There will also be a fee for purchasing and cashing traveller's cheques, so check these out too.

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Stephanie's Bali Beach Holiday

What cards did you take with you?

• CommBank Travel Money Card
• Commonwealth Bank Low Rate Credit Card
• Commonwealth Bank Smart Access Mastercard Debit Card

Why did you take these cards with you?

Stephanie says she already had a CommBank Travel Money Card from her last holiday with a little money left on it. She withdrew the remaining funds from this card from a Commonwealth Bank ATM in Bali and saved on ATM withdrawal fees. She didn't bother reloading this card even though there is no reload charge from the Commonwealth Bank.

She used the Commonwealth Bank Smart Access Mastercard Debit Card once the money from her travel card ran out. Even though she was paying a little more for the currency conversion fee, she only used her card a couple of times to withdraw cash from CBA ATMs and her debit card offered a slightly better rate than her travel card.

Stephanie had her CommBank credit card as a backup and only used it a couple of times on her trip — she paid the remaining balance of her hotel bill and shouted her friends to dinner one night. he paid it off when she got back to Australia (within the 55 day interest free period) and didn't incur any interest charges.

Did you withdraw from ATMs?

Stephanie says she withdrew from Commonwealth Bank ATMs around the Kuta area. When she used her travel card, she only paid a few dollars each time. When she used her debit card to withdraw cash, a currency conversion fee was applied to her transaction.

Were there any places where you had trouble using any of your cards?

Stephanie mainly used cash in Bali. The times she did pay with her card, she was at an upmarket restaurant and major hotel chain.

What's your recommendation for the best form of travel money to take to Indonesia?

Stephanie says one of her friends used the Citibank Plus Transaction Account, and she says she'll get this account next time she travels overseas. Citibank waives the international ATM fee and currency conversion fee and there's no monthly charge to keep the account.

What are your travel money tips for Bali?

She says do your shopping in the morning. The people who sell things at the markets in Bali will give you a better price in the morning compared to in the afternoon.

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A guide to Indonesian banknotes and coins

Indonesian banknotes are quite different to those we have in Australia so you may want to familiarise yourself with the notes before heading there:

Find cash and ATMs in Indonesia

Card acceptance

You will be able to use your existing ATM card in most places where merchants display the same logo as the one on your card. Mastercard and Visa have wide acceptance in Bali.

Cheap ATM withdrawals in Indonesia

• Westpac. Westpac Group cardholders (Westpac, St.George, BankSA and Bank of Melbourne) can avoid the international ATM withdrawal fee by using CIMB ATMs throughout Indonesia. The local ATM operator fee may still apply. You can read more about Westpac's International ATM Alliance here.
• Commonwealth Bank. CommBank have a presence throughout Indonesia — you can find a concentration of CBA ATMs around Bali, especially Kuta. You can avoid ATM withdrawal fees using CommBank products at these ATMs.
• Citibank. You can make free ATM withdrawals using the Citibank Plus Transaction Account at Citibank ATMs in Indonesia. Citibank have an ATM in Kuta.

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Get travel insurance quotes for your holiday in Indonesia

Indonesia has proved to be a dangerous destination for Australian travellers. From the dreaded Bali belly to contaminated alcohol, there are many risks lurking just below the surface. This is why travel insurance is so important. Travel insurance can cover:

Don't let a hospital stay ruin your holiday. Compare travel insurance for Bali and find the right policy for you.
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