Can merchants charge customers a QRIS fee? What Bank Indonesia says
Bank Indonesia repeated in October 2026 that the QRIS MDR is the merchant's cost. What counts as a surcharge, what can happen to merchants who add one, and how to price fairly.
Published 17 October 2026 3 min read
Some shops add a small "QRIS fee" when a customer pays by QR code. In October 2026 Bank Indonesia (BI) made its position clear again: this is not allowed. The QRIS fee, called the MDR (Merchant Discount Rate), is the merchant's cost, not the customer's.
What Bank Indonesia said
On 1 October 2026, after reports that a fuel station in Palembang charged about Rp750 extra on a Rp100,000 QRIS payment, BI's South Sumatra office stated that merchants are prohibited from passing the MDR on to consumers. Customers pay the normal price, with no extra fee for using QRIS.
The rule comes from PBI No. 23/6/PBI/2021 on Payment Service Providers (PJP). It forbids merchants from surcharging customers for fees the PJP charges the merchant, and it requires PJPs to make sure their merchants follow it.
What counts as a surcharge
- A line such as "+ QRIS fee" or "admin fee for QRIS" on the bill.
- A higher price only for customers who pay by QRIS.
- Asking the customer to "add Rp1,000" when they scan.
Having one price for all payment methods, with your costs already built into that price, is normal and allowed.
What can happen to merchants who break the rule
According to BI, the payment provider that serves the merchant can:
- give a warning,
- ask the merchant to stop and correct the practice,
- limit or end the QRIS cooperation, where the agreement allows it.
BI supervises the providers themselves, both from documents and by on-site inspection, and can apply sanctions to a provider that does not act.
How customers can complain
Customers who are charged extra should first complain to the payment provider or bank behind the QRIS code. If that does not solve it, they can take the complaint to Bank Indonesia.
The good news: many payments now have 0% MDR
Since 1 October 2026, QRIS payments up to Rp100,000 have 0% MDR for every merchant category, and micro businesses keep 0% up to Rp500,000. For most everyday orders there is simply no MDR left to pass on. See QRIS MDR fees from 1 October 2026 and QRIS fees for small sellers, with real examples.
What this means for online shops
- Show one price at checkout, whatever the customer chooses.
- If your margins are thin, adjust your normal prices, not the QRIS price.
- Payment gateways may charge their own service fee on top of network rules. That fee is also the merchant's cost. Check how PAYWISE fees work.
Sources: FigurNews, 1 Oct 2026, Bank Indonesia: MDR QRIS bagi merchant. This article is general information, not legal advice.
