DANA, OVO, GoPay Real User Experience Review: Who's Better in Indonesia's Top 3 E-Wallets?

DANA, OVO and GoPay have become the top three most popular e-wallet platforms in Indonesia's fast-growing digital payment space. In this article, we will conduct a comprehensive review from the perspective of real users, from the registration process, functional experience, promotions to security and other dimensions, to help you understand which e-wallet is the most suitable for your daily use needs.

I. Platform introduction and market positioning

DANAAs an emerging e-payment platform in Indonesia, jointly invested by Ant Group and Emtek Group, it is rapidly emerging with its simple interface design and rich offline merchant network. Its "simple and secure" concept has attracted a large number of young users.

OVOOn the other hand, it is the payment product of the Lippo Group, which gained a large user base early on through its partnership with Grab. It is known for its wide range of retail partners and diversified financial services, and is particularly popular among mid- to high-end consumers.

GoPayAs a core component of Gojek's ecosystem, it has a strong first-mover advantage by virtue of its super-APP strategy. Its best feature is the deep integration of Gojek's services (e.g. online car rental, takeaway, etc.) to provide users with a one-stop solution.

Comparison of registration and account setting experience

1. DANA registration process

• vantage: Only mobile phone number is required to start using basic functions; easy biometric login setup; smooth KYC verification process
• drawbacks: Some banks require tedious manual input of information to bind; lower initial limit (Rp 1 million)
• measured time: 3 minutes for basic registration; additional 5 minutes for full KYC verification

2. OVO account opening

• vantage: Grab users can directly link to existing accounts; more international credit card bundles supported
• drawbacks: KYC has strict requirements to upload ID selfies; sometimes there are verification delays
• Featured Functions:: Virtual credit card (VISA) available for online purchases

3. GoPay activation process

• cutting edge: Seamless integration of Gojek's old users without re-registration; facial recognition support for quick top-ups
• not enough: Non-Gojek users need to download the entire app which takes up a lot of space (more than 150MB).

III. Core Functions and Daily Use Experience

1. DANA: Simple and Efficient, King of Offline Payments

• Payment Scene Coverage: Supports the QRIS standard for code payment at over 5 million merchants nationwide, including convenience store chains such as Alfamart and Indomaret.
• Transfer experienceDANA ke Bank supports real-time bank account transfers with fees as low as Rp1,000 per transaction; transfers between DANA users are free and instant.
• Recharge Method: Top-ups can be made via ATM, Internet Banking, Alfamart counters or partner agents, but some channels require additional handling fees (e.g. ATM transfer Rp2,500).
• User Experience HighlightsThe UI is intuitive and the PayLater microfinance feature is fast (up to Rp5 million) and suitable for urgent spending needs.

2. OVO: Highly favourable retail offers and comprehensive financial services

• Payment Scene Advantages: Exclusive discounts at partner malls such as Lippo Mall, Hypermart, etc.; Grab cabs and takeaways are bundled with OVO by default to enjoy cashback.
• Featured Financial Functions::
  • The "OVO Cash" demand deposit product has an annualised return of 3%-4%, which is higher than a regular bank account.
  • "OVO PayLater" instalments of up to 12 instalments are available for e-commerce purchases on Tokopedia and other e-commerce platforms.
  • Virtual credit cards (VISA) can be used directly for international website purchases (e.g. Netflix subscriptions).
• shortcoming:: Occasional lagging of the App; some small merchants in remote areas are not yet connected to the QRIS system.

3. GoPay: Seamless Integration of the "Super App Eco"

(1) Gojek Service Deep Binding

(2) P2P Social Payments Innovation

- _"GoPay Coins"_ reward system - 1 point for every Rp 10k spent, redeemable for free trips or food discount coupons
- _"Split Bill"_ AA function for dinners - initiate payment requests directly in the chat group.
- QR Code Collection Printing Service-Small vendors can affix static codes to their stalls for cashless transactions

IV. Comparison of promotional activities and user benefits

▶️ Test case: Simultaneous purchase of electronic products from the same shopping mall during Ramadan promotions.
- DANA offers 6 0% interest instalments to save Rp120,000 in interest!
- 15% off OVO Direct but with a minimum spend of 1million
- Gopay combo offer "160K voucher for 800K or more" is more suitable for high-frequency Gojek users.

V. Security and Customer Service Review

Table of horizontal comparison of security protection mechanisms.

⚠️ actual risk event records:
OVO had a massive phishing scam case in September 2022 (spoofing apps to get OTP codes), and Gopay maintains a record of zero major security incidents due to mandatory secondary password verification.

💡 Expert Advice:
It is recommended to enable DANA's _"Dynamic Security Keyboard" if you mainly conduct large transactions.Anti-Screenshot feature;
Users who regularly use public WiFi to make payments should switch on the OVO setting in the"VPN detection alerts"_