JAKARTA, Indonesia, Nov. 18, 2022--UnionPay International (UPI) today announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). With the partnership, all BNI merchant customers will accept UnionPay card payments and UnionPay Mobile QuickPass service. Furthermore, a majority of Indonesia’s e-commerce platforms will be connected to the UnionPay card network. As a result, UnionPay’s merchant acceptance coverage in Indonesia will reach 95%, with over half of being able to accept UnionPay mobile payments. President of China UnionPay Cai Jianbo and BNI Director Corina Leyla Karnalies attended the signing ceremony virtually.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, UPI has continued to enhance the quality of its services with a focus on widening and strengthening UnionPay’s global payment network. In addition to expanding its services in lifestyle and transport scenarios with the aim of providing consumers with a superior payment experience, the company is also committed to improving access to mobile, online and other contactless payment options. Today, 181 countries and regions worldwide are connected to UnionPay’s acceptance network. Among the 37 million merchants outside of China accepting UnionPay cards, over 20% switched to UnionPay services in response to COVID-19 prevention and control measures. The number of overseas merchants accepting UnionPay mobile payments has tripled since the pandemic.

Mr. Cai said the growth of the UnionPay merchant base demonstrates the progress that has been achieved in accelerating the building of UnionPay’s interconnected networks, which helps UPI improve its service levels for the local card base, mobile and online payments. In line with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), UPI is well on track towards serving the growing needs for cross-border business travel payments in Indonesia while providing daily payment services to Indonesians and international students, among other resident populations. The partnership provides an improved foundation to localize UnionPay’s business in Indonesia, where both parties will strive to cooperate in areas such as local card issuance and e-wallet services in future.

With the majority of Indonesian merchants already accepting UnionPay cards, the partnership with BNI, one of the four major local banks, will further improve the UnionPay acceptance network within the country. An additional 80,000 merchants will be enabled to process UnionPay cards, allowing shoppers in Bali, Jakarta and other major destinations to make payments via UnionPay. In addition, all new merchants connected to the UnionPay payment network are able to process contactless payments such as those made via smartphones. Garuda Indonesia and other ecommerce entities have launched the UnionPay online payment service using the UnionPay 3-D Secure (3DS) online payment authentication solution designed to enhance both the ease of use and the security around online payments.

Corina Leyla Karnalies added that BNI is increasing its digital capabilities. This collaboration with UnionPay International will widen the acceptance network for UnionPay in Indonesia, providing convenient digital payment services for both merchants and consumers. It will also benefit both parties, and be a strong foundation for both parties to deepen their cooperation. 

In addition to accelerating the build-out of its global acceptance network, UPI has also expanded its presence in multiple markets in recent years. To date, more than 190 million UnionPay cards have been issued in over 70 countries and regions outside China, including 13 million new cards issued so far this year. In Indonesia, Bank Central Asia, Bank of China, Bank Sinarmas and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China have issued UnionPay cards. In the first ten months of 2022, transactions made via these cards increased by 36% on an annualized basis.