How to pay suppliers in Indonesia from the US: dollars or rupiah
To pay a supplier in Indonesia, collect its registered company name, USD account number, bank and SWIFT code, then send US dollars by SWIFT wire with the export reference its bank needs, or rupiah as a local payout over BI-FAST or SKNBI. Bank Indonesia requires export proceeds to come in through Indonesian banks by the end of the third month after the export month, so the reference on your payment matters. This guide covers the currency choice, details to collect, rails, cut-offs, holidays, published fees and returns.
- Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 17/3/PBI/2015 requires the rupiah for transactions in Indonesia but exempts international trade, so a foreign buyer may pay an Indonesian supplier in dollars.
- Exporters must bring export proceeds into the Indonesian financial system by the end of the third month after the month of the export customs notification, through banks for non-natural resource exports.
- Under Bank Indonesia's 2019 regulation, a bank may credit a transfer of export proceeds only when the payment message carries the export information, and BCA publishes the format it needs.
- Natural resource exports worth USD 250,000 or more per export notification must be paid into a special account at a state-owned bank under Government Regulation No. 2 of 2026.
- BI-FAST moves rupiah in real time, 24/7, up to Rp250 million per transaction, while SKNBI takes up to Rp1 billion and BI-RTGS handles large values on banking days.
- BCA charges USD 5 equivalent for a foreign currency inward remittance credited to a BCA account and USD 20 equivalent for an investigation.
USD or IDR invoices: which should you pay?
Start with the currency on the supplier's invoice. Indonesian suppliers invoice foreign buyers in US dollars (USD) or Indonesian rupiah (IDR), and the choice decides which account you pay, which rail you use and who carries the exchange rate risk.
Indonesian law allows both. Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 17/3/PBI/2015 requires the rupiah for cash and non-cash transactions in Indonesia, but exempts international trade transactions and foreign currency deposits held in banks (Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 17/3/PBI/2015). A foreign buyer may therefore pay an Indonesian exporter in dollars, and the exporter may keep them in a giro valas, a foreign currency current account at an Indonesian bank. The same rule means that an Indonesian subsidiary or agent of yours must pay local suppliers in rupiah.
What shapes the payment is the export proceeds rule. Export proceeds are called devisa hasil ekspor (DHE). Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank, requires exporters to bring DHE into the Indonesian financial system by the end of the third month after the month of the export customs notification, and non-natural resource exporters must do so through banks (BI questions and answers on PBI No. 7 of 2023). The export customs notification, the PPE, is the customs document that records the export, its date and its value. For a PPE dated in August, the deadline is 30 November.
Buyers of coal, palm oil, nickel, timber or fish face one more rule. Government Regulation No. 2 of 2026 requires proceeds from a natural resource export worth USD 250,000 or more per PPE to be paid into a special DHE SDA account at a foreign exchange bank that is a state-owned bank (Government Regulation No. 2 of 2026). If your supplier gives you a special account for these shipments, pay that account, not its usual one.
| Invoice currency | What you send | What the supplier receives | Who carries the exchange rate risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD, supplier has a giro valas | US dollars by SWIFT wire | Dollars, net of bank charges | The supplier |
| USD, supplier has only a rupiah account | US dollars by SWIFT wire | Rupiah, converted by the supplier's bank on arrival | The supplier, at the bank's rate |
| USD, natural resources of USD 250,000 or more per PPE | US dollars by SWIFT wire to the special account | Dollars in the DHE SDA special account at a state-owned bank | The supplier |
| IDR | Rupiah, converted by your provider before sending | The exact rupiah amount, as a local transfer | You, the buyer |
Sources: PBI No. 17/3/PBI/2015; BI Q&A on PBI No. 7 of 2023; PP No. 2 of 2026; as published on 29 October 2026.
For goods, agree a dollar invoice and pay it by SWIFT wire with the export references described below, because that lets the supplier's bank record the payment as DHE. A rupiah payout through a provider arrives as a domestic transfer without those references, so use it for services, samples and small orders, and ask the supplier first. Settle the currency in the contract, not invoice by invoice.
Details to collect from an Indonesian supplier
Collect the payment details once, in writing, on the supplier's letterhead or invoice. An international wire needs the bank's SWIFT code, the 8 or 11 character code that identifies a bank on the SWIFT network. Indonesian banks match the beneficiary name against their records, and for goods they also need the export information in the payment message.
| Detail | Example or format | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Account name | The company name exactly as registered at the bank; BCA and Bank Mandiri both state it must match their records | Name mismatches lead to queries or returns |
| Beneficiary address | Full street address in Indonesia | Required on SWIFT wires |
| Account number and currency | The giro valas number for dollars (BCA uses 10 digits) | A dollar wire to a rupiah account is converted on arrival |
| Bank SWIFT code | For example CENAIDJA for BCA or BMRIIDJA for Bank Mandiri | Routes the wire to the right bank |
| Purpose of the transaction | For example, payment for goods under invoice number | BCA asks for it on inward remittances |
| Export information | PPE and invoice details; BCA publishes the format 1011//InvoiceNumber(AmountPaid) | Lets the bank match the payment to the export |
| NIB and NPWP | From the supplier's invoice and registrations | Lets you match the bank details to the invoicing company |
Sources: BCA, Inward Remittance (business); Bank Mandiri, Incoming Transfer; as published on 29 October 2026.
NIB is the Business Identification Number, the company's business license number, and NPWP is its tax number. The export information rule comes from BI's 2019 regulation on export proceeds and import payments, under which a bank may credit a telegraphic transfer of export proceeds only when the payment message carries the export information (PBI No. 21/14/PBI/2019). The BCA format feeds siMoDIS, the system BI uses to match export proceeds with export documents. Ask the supplier for the exact text to put in your payment reference and copy it character for character.
Treat any change of bank details as a fraud risk, and confirm new details by calling a contact you already know. Our SWIFT code lookup helps confirm the bank code.
How the money moves: SWIFT, BI-FAST, SKNBI and BI-RTGS
There are two ways to get money from a US account to an Indonesian supplier.
SWIFT wire. Your bank sends an international wire over SWIFT, the global messaging network banks use for cross-border payments, to the supplier's bank. The dollars settle in the United States on Fedwire, the Federal Reserve's system for large-value transfers, through the Indonesian bank's correspondent, a bank that holds an account for it in New York. Every SWIFT wire carries a charges instruction: OUR means you pay all bank charges, SHA means each side pays its own bank, and BEN means all charges come out of the amount sent.
Local rupiah payout. A provider with access to Indonesian rails converts your dollars and pays the supplier's rupiah account as a domestic transfer. Wise, for example, lists IDR among the currencies it sends to, within Indonesia (Wise). The domestic leg runs on one of BI's three systems. BI-FAST is available 24/7, settles in real time and takes up to Rp250 million per transaction, with a customer fee capped at Rp2,500. SKNBI, the national clearing system, takes up to Rp1 billion per transaction, and BI-RTGS handles large-value transfers above Rp100 million; both operate from 06:30 to 16:30 Western Indonesia Time (WIB) (BI, BI-FAST FAQ).
| Route | Currency the supplier receives | Timing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWIFT wire to a giro valas | USD | BCA states funds can arrive the same day | Standard route for dollar invoices; carries export references |
| SWIFT wire to a rupiah account | IDR, converted on arrival | Credited on an Indonesian banking day | Supplier's bank sets the rate |
| Local rupiah payout over BI-FAST | IDR | Real time, 24/7 | Up to Rp250 million per transaction |
| Local rupiah payout over SKNBI | IDR | 06:30 to 16:30 WIB on banking days | Up to Rp1 billion per transaction |
| Local rupiah payout over BI-RTGS | IDR | 06:30 to 16:30 WIB on banking days | Large values above Rp100 million |
Sources: Bank Indonesia, BI-FAST FAQ; BCA, Inward Remittance (business); Wise; as published on 29 October 2026. Banks may set lower customer limits and earlier cut-offs.
Some buyers are asked to pay in stablecoins such as USDT. The Governor of Bank Indonesia stated on 25 May 2023 that crypto is not a legal means of payment in Indonesia and that the rupiah is the only legal payment instrument (Bisnis.com). Crypto assets may be traded under the supervision of the Financial Services Authority (OJK), but a stablecoin payment does not reach an Indonesian bank with export references, so it does not count as DHE.
Helm sends international payments to suppliers by SWIFT, and by local rails in the supplier's currency where available, from the buyer's own account, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before you send.
Cut-offs and holidays
On the US side, the Fedwire Funds Service day opens at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the previous calendar day and closes at 7:00 p.m. ET, with a 6:45 p.m. ET cut-off for customer transfers (Federal Reserve Financial Services). Your bank's own cut-off for international wires is earlier. Jakarta is 11 hours ahead of New York in the US summer and 12 hours ahead in the US winter, so a wire sent in a New York afternoon arrives during the Indonesian night and is credited the next Indonesian banking day.
On the Indonesian side, BI-FAST runs through weekends and holidays, while SWIFT credits, SKNBI and BI-RTGS wait for a banking day. Indonesia sets national holidays and collective leave days, cuti bersama, by joint decree of three ministers each year. For 2026 the decree sets Thursday 24 December as collective leave and Friday 25 December as a national holiday for Christmas, and asks banking and other essential services to arrange staff on those days (detik.com summary of the 2026 joint decree). Check with the supplier's bank whether it processes on 24 December.
| Date | Closed or affected | Plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 11 November 2026 | US Fedwire (Veterans Day) | Send US wires by 10 November |
| Thursday 26 November 2026 | US Fedwire (Thanksgiving) | Send US wires by 25 November |
| Thursday 24 December 2026 | Indonesia (cuti bersama for Christmas) | Check with the supplier's bank; allow an extra day |
| Friday 25 December 2026 | Indonesia (Christmas, national holiday); US Fedwire | Send year-end payments by 22 December |
| Friday 1 January 2027 | US Fedwire (New Year's Day) | Send US wires by 31 December |
Sources: detik.com, cuti bersama 2026 under the joint decree of three ministers; Federal Reserve holiday schedule K.8; as published on 29 October 2026.
Fees as published
A payment to Indonesia can carry four costs: your provider's sending fee, the exchange rate if you convert, intermediary bank deductions on a SWIFT wire, and the supplier's receiving charges. Indonesian banks publish their inward remittance charges. The example below is BCA's, with fees effective 16 February 2021.
| Item | Published charge | Who pays it |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency inward remittance credited to a BCA foreign currency account | USD 5 equivalent | Supplier |
| Foreign currency inward remittance credited to a BCA rupiah account | USD 5 equivalent | Supplier |
| Investigation of a foreign currency inward remittance (BCA) | USD 20 equivalent | Whoever requests it |
| BI-FAST transfer, customer fee cap | Up to Rp2,500 per transaction | Sender |
| Intermediary banks | Deducted in transit on SHA and BEN wires | Whoever the charges code assigns |
| Helm | Agreed in writing before the account opens | Buyer |
Sources: BCA, Inward Remittance (business); Bank Indonesia, BI-FAST FAQ; as published on 29 October 2026. Other banks set their own charges.
The receiving fee is small. The larger costs are correspondent deductions on a SHA wire, which leave the invoice part-paid, and the exchange rate on a rupiah payout, where a rate 1% below the market costs $100 on every $10,000. An investigation costs USD 20 equivalent at BCA, so complete details and the right export reference save money as well as time. Send dollar wires with OUR charges when the supplier must receive the full amount. Helm agrees pricing with each business before the account opens; speak to the team.
Common reasons payments are delayed or returned
| Problem | What happens | How to prevent it |
|---|---|---|
| No export information in the payment message | The bank cannot record the payment as export proceeds | Copy the supplier's reference text exactly, for example 1011//InvoiceNumber(AmountPaid) at BCA |
| Dollars sent to a rupiah account | Converted on arrival at the bank's rate | Ask for the giro valas number |
| Natural resource payment sent to the ordinary account | Supplier must move it to its special account | Ask whether the shipment needs the DHE SDA account |
| Account name does not match | Bank queries or returns the payment | Use the name exactly as registered at the bank |
| Rupiah payout above Rp250 million on BI-FAST | Exceeds the BI-FAST limit per transaction | Use a provider that pays larger amounts over SKNBI or BI-RTGS |
| Wire sent as SHA or BEN | Supplier receives less than the invoice | Use OUR charges |
Sources: BCA; PBI No. 21/14/PBI/2019; PP No. 2 of 2026; BI-FAST FAQ; as published on 29 October 2026.
If a wire has left but not arrived, ask your bank for the UETR (Unique End-to-end Transaction Reference), the tracking code that stays the same along the whole SWIFT chain, and send it to the supplier with your payment confirmation before anyone pays for an investigation.
Step by step: paying a supplier in Indonesia
- Agree the currency. Set USD or IDR in the contract, and who pays bank charges.
- Collect details once. Get the company name, address, giro valas number, bank and SWIFT code in writing.
- Get the reference text. Ask the supplier for the exact export reference its bank needs, and whether the shipment needs its special DHE SDA account.
- Verify by phone. Confirm the details with a known contact before the first payment and after any change.
- Choose the rail. Pay dollar invoices by SWIFT wire; pay rupiah invoices as a local payout over BI-FAST, SKNBI or BI-RTGS.
- Check the quote. Compare the rate, fee and expected arrival before you confirm, and send dollar wires with OUR.
- Time it. Send before your provider's cut-off and away from US holidays and Indonesian holidays.
- Send proof. Share the UETR and SWIFT confirmation, or the payout reference, with the invoice number.
For how your supplier receives and holds dollars, see how to receive USD in Indonesia and USD business accounts in Indonesia.
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What is the best way to pay a supplier in Indonesia from the US?
For dollar invoices for goods, send a SWIFT wire to the supplier's giro valas with OUR charges and the export reference its bank needs. For rupiah invoices for services or small orders, a local payout over BI-FAST or SKNBI arrives as a domestic transfer.
What bank details do I need to pay an Indonesian supplier?
You need the company name exactly as registered at the bank, the supplier's address, the USD account number, the bank's SWIFT code and the purpose of the transaction. For goods, also ask for the exact export reference text the supplier's bank needs in the payment message.
Can I pay an Indonesian supplier in US dollars?
Yes. Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 17/3/PBI/2015 requires the rupiah for transactions in Indonesia but exempts international trade transactions, so a buyer abroad may pay an Indonesian exporter in dollars, and the exporter may hold them in a foreign currency account.
Why does my Indonesian supplier ask me to add a reference like 1011//?
Bank Indonesia's rules let a bank credit a transfer of export proceeds only when the payment message carries the export information. BCA publishes the format 1011//InvoiceNumber(AmountPaid) so it can match the payment to the export in Bank Indonesia's monitoring system.
What is the DHE SDA special account?
It is the account Indonesian natural resource exporters must use for proceeds from exports worth USD 250,000 or more per export notification. Government Regulation No. 2 of 2026 requires it to be at a foreign exchange bank that is a state-owned bank, so buyers of coal, palm oil or nickel may be asked to pay it.
What is BI-FAST?
BI-FAST is Bank Indonesia's real-time retail transfer system, available 24/7 with a limit of Rp250 million per transaction and a customer fee capped at Rp2,500. Larger rupiah transfers go through SKNBI, up to Rp1 billion, or BI-RTGS.
How long does a payment to Indonesia take?
A rupiah payout over BI-FAST is credited in real time. A SWIFT wire is credited on an Indonesian banking day after it clears the US correspondent; BCA states that funds can arrive the same day.
Why did my Indonesian supplier receive less than I sent?
Intermediary banks can deduct fees from a wire sent with SHA or BEN charges, and Indonesian banks charge to credit inward remittances; BCA charges USD 5 equivalent. Sending with OUR charges covers the transfer fees.
Can I pay an Indonesian supplier in USDT?
The Governor of Bank Indonesia stated in May 2023 that crypto is not a legal means of payment in Indonesia and that the rupiah is the only legal payment instrument. A stablecoin payment does not reach an Indonesian bank with export references, so it does not count as export proceeds.
References
- Bank Indonesia: Regulation No. 17/3/PBI/2015 on the Mandatory Use of Rupiah
- Bank Indonesia: Questions and answers on PBI No. 7 of 2023 on export proceeds and import payments
- Bank Indonesia: Regulation No. 21/14/PBI/2019 on export proceeds and import payments
- Ministry of Finance JDIH: Government Regulation No. 2 of 2026 (second amendment to PP No. 36 of 2023)
- Bank Indonesia: BI-FAST frequently asked questions
- BCA: Inward Remittance (business)
- detik.com: Cuti bersama 2026 dates under the joint decree of three ministers
- Wise: What currencies can I send to and from?
This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.