Cash, card, Wise, GoPay… which is best?
There are heaps of ways to pay in Bali, and they're not equal. Here's the quick verdict.
A no-fee travel card
Wise or Revolut, always paying in rupiah, and cash from a BCA or BNI ATM inside your free monthly allowance.
Wise vs Revolut → EasiestJust tap your card
Hotels, restaurants, beach clubs and shops take cards. Ask about a surcharge first: some add 1.5–3%.
Cards in Bali → Works everywhereCash in rupiah
Warungs, markets, tips and drivers. Carry a day's worth, not the whole trip's.
Cash & ATMs → Best for long staysGoPay on your phone
Scan any QR sticker, plus Gojek rides and food delivery. Worth the setup if you're staying a month or more.
Pay by phone →Avoid: airport money changers, picking AUD when a card machine asks, and Mandiri ATMs (reportedly Rp 50,000 per withdrawal on foreign cards). Compare every option →
How long are you staying, mate?
Holiday
A no-fee card, a bit of cash and the right ATM. That's 90% of it. Skip the airport money changer.
Holiday setup → 1–6 monthsLong stay
Add GoPay on your passport, keep your Aussie number alive for bank codes, and stop paying card surcharges.
Long-stay setup → Living hereMoving to Bali
Local bank account on a KITAS, villa rent from AUD, electricity tokens and the paperwork.
Moving guide →5 things to sort before you fly
- Pack a card with no foreign fees. Most standard Aussie bank cards add a foreign transaction fee to every overseas swipe. unverified Wise, Revolut and a few Aussie banks don't. Compare cards
- Sort your e-VOA. Rp 500,000 on the official .go.id site, before you fly, and you get the autogates on arrival. (G8trip, checked 2026-10-25) Visa guide
- Fill in the free All Indonesia arrival card. Within 3 days of landing; customs scans the QR code. Arrival guide
- Get an eSIM installed before you land. You need data for Grab, Gojek and bank codes the moment you're through customs. BNESIM, 30% off · eSIM guide
- Learn to read the zeros. Rp 100,000 is about A$8, not A$80. Locals write it "100rb" or "100k". Try the converter
Why Aussies need their own money guide
Aussies are Bali's biggest crowd by a mile: 1.63 million of the 6.95 million foreign visitors in 2025. (Antara / BPS Bali, checked 2026-10-25)
But Bali's QR payment system (QRIS) only links up with banking apps from six countries: Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and China. Australia isn't one of them. (Antara, checked 2026-10-25) So the Chinese tourist next to you scans the warung's QR with their phone, while you're digging for a Rp 50,000 note. This site fixes that.
💵 Cash & ATMs
Which ATMs to use, what they charge, and how to dodge the money-changer shuffle.
Read →💳 Wise vs Revolut
Two cards most Aussies take to Bali, compared fee by fee.
Read →📱 Pay by phone
QRIS, GoPay and DANA set up with an Aussie passport.
Read →🚩 Scams
The tricks that still catch Aussies in Kuta, and the three-second checks that beat them.
Read →