Indonesia’s central bank is urging iPhone users to be patient as negotiations with Apple continue over access to Near Field Communication (NFC) technology needed for the country’s QRIS Tap payment system. Whereas QRIS Tap, a more convenient evolution of the existing QRIS system, has gained traction among Android users, it remains unavailable on iPhones due to restrictions imposed by Apple.
Bank Indonesia (BI) launched QRIS Tap in March 2025, allowing users to make payments by simply tapping their smartphones on payment terminals, eliminating the need to scan QR codes. As of February 2026, over 60 million people are using the QRIS system, surpassing BI’s initial target for the year, according to Governor Perry Warjiyo.
The core issue lies with Apple’s control over NFC access on its devices. Currently, Apple restricts NFC functionality to Apple Pay, its own payment service. “iPhone QRIS users, please be patient. Currently, Apple has not opened its NFC feature. It only opens it for Apple Pay,” said BI Deputy Governor Fillianingsih Hendarta during a press conference on February 19, 2026.
BI officials have been in direct communication with both Apple Indonesia and Apple headquarters to discuss the possibility of opening NFC access for QRIS Tap. Representatives from Apple have visited BI to examine the QRIS Tap feature and explore potential solutions, potentially mirroring approaches already implemented in the European Union. “Apple Indonesia and its headquarters have arrive to us and will further explore the QRIS Tap feature to open NFC access,” Hendarta stated.
Technically, iPhones are equipped with NFC hardware. The limitation is a policy decision by Apple. While a timeline for iPhone compatibility remains uncertain, BI is hopeful that a resolution can be reached.
Despite the iPhone limitation, QRIS Tap adoption is growing in other sectors. The system is now being used for transportation payments, as well as in hotels and restaurants. Transactions in the hospitality sector alone have exceeded 475,000, representing a 7.9 percent month-over-month increase. The total value of these transactions reached approximately Rp 4.6 billion, a 6.4 percent monthly increase.
QRIS Tap is intended to accelerate and simplify transactions, particularly in high-frequency sectors like public transportation, modern retail, hospitality, and restaurants. BI continues to coordinate with stakeholders to expand the interoperability of the national digital payment system and encourage broader device support for QRIS Tap.