How to send money for family members in Indonesia? Recommended Most Convenient Payment Methods

To send money to Indonesia for your family members, we recommend the following convenient, safe and less costly ways, which you can choose according to your specific needs:

1. Dedicated platform for international remittances (recommended)

specificitiesTransparent exchange rates, low commission, fast speeds

• Wise (TransferWise)

  • cutting edge: Real-time market exchange rates, clear handling fees (total fees shown), and support for direct remittance to an Indonesian bank account (IDR).
  • credit time:: 1-2 working days.
  • Applicable Scenarios: Large or small amounts are available for those seeking value for money.

• Remitly

  • cutting edgeFirst transfer is free of charge and is available in "Economy" (3-5 days) and "Rush" (minutes) options.
  • allowance: Up to approximately $10,000 in a single transaction (identity verification required).

• WorldRemit/PaySend

  • Support for card/bank account transfers, and in some cases cash pick-up (designated agent point required).

2. Traditional bank wire transfers

specificities: Reliable but costly

• operating method: Initiate cross-border remittance via domestic bank APP or counter (recipient's Indonesian bank account number and SWIFT code are required).
• *drawbacks

3. Local payment instruments in Indonesia (suitable for small/unbanked amounts)

specificities: No bank account required, cash withdrawals or e-wallet top-ups supported

• DANA/OVO/GoPay/LinkAja(Mainstream e-wallet in Indonesia)

  • operating method: Direct remittance to these e-wallets through money transfer platforms (e.g. Wise, Remitly).
  • cutting edge: Instant cash, family members can directly use it for spending or withdraw it to their bank cards.

• Western Union/MoneyGram(Western Union/MoneyGram)

  • Applicable Scenarios: If the recipient does not have a bank account, he/she needs to withdraw cash at an Indonesian agent (e.g. post office, convenience store) with his/her ID card and remittance code.
  • Disadvantages* Higher commission fees and poorer exchange rates.

4. Cryptocurrency transfers (for users familiar with blockchain)

• operating method:
  1. Domestic purchase of stablecoins such as USDT (via compliant platforms such as OKX).
  2. Transfer money to your family's Indonesia Exchange account (e.g. Indodax).
  3. Convert to IDR and withdraw to your local bank.

✅Selected Suggestions:

⚠️ Notes:

1. 🇮🇩 Bank Indonesia requires the declaration of single foreign exchange transactions exceeding IDR 100 million (about US$7,000).
2. 📱Check the accuracy of payee information in advance to avoid bounced payments.

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