– Send Money To Yourself Online & Pick It Up Locally
Here is our preferred method to send yourself money online to pick up locally at an authorized pick up agent. Great for when the ATM is not working or there’s simply No ATM around. There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEES on your first money transfer… This means no need to search fruitlessly for a referral code when registering, but just use the promo code “FREE” when processing your transfer on the payment page. IMPORTANT: If you don’t see your Country in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines.
– Step By Step Guides…incl fee free promo codes
If you are struggling in a specific destination, check the menu to see if we have a guide specific to where you are.
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
If you are low on cash and need to pay your accommodation, then it may be possible to pay directly to the owner’s bank account. You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. Click HERE for this service. IMPORTANT: If you don’t see your Country in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines. Once You have chosen a Country To Send To, click “Get Started” On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE! For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency). Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
You may also find it helpful to check out our useful Travel Money Tips
ATMs in Indonesia don’t usually pose any challenges, however there are a few exceptions where we’ve heard of problems. There is also a lot of skimming of cards in tourist areas.
If there are no ATMs close by or the ATMs in Indonesia are not working with your card, check back here for our guides about how to send yourself money online and pick it up at an authorized local cash pick up point.
It is a very similar process to buying something on the internet with your debit card and is probably the quickest way to send yourself money online to Indonesia.
There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first money transfer. What’s more, it’s convenient, safe and cheaper than paying high ATM withdrawal fees allowing you to transfer more than the maximum ATM limit.
For the following places there’s a step by step guide below which shows how to send yourself money instead of using an ATM.
– Papua ( Wamena, The Baliem Valley ) You can send money to the post office on Jl. Timor, Wamena Kota, Wamena, Kabupaten Jayawijaya, Papua 99511, Indonesia – Maluku, Bukit Lawang You can send money to the BRI or post office 10km away in Bohorok – Samosir island / TukTuk Lake Toba If the ATM doesn’t work you can send money to the post office on Jl. Raya Danau Toba No. 1 (SPBU) or to the BRI (there’s 3 branches on Samosir)
As this method is especially useful in certain places, we have provided separate guides for these (click links for destination specific guide):
Here are two useful links to find the nearest ATMs in Indonesia : Visa / MasterCard
Indonesia ATM Fees & General Information
Most ATMs in Indonesia charge fees. These usually range from 2 to 5 USD, though standalone machines in shops and tourist areas can be even higher. You will also probably get charged a fee by your own bank.
Having a Wise (formerly TransferWise) MasterCard can help reduce your home bank fees and gives a great exchange rate on purchases. With their borderless account / card you can hold your money in more than 40 currencies and use the debit card to get your cash out with low conversion fees and zero transaction fees. Click here for more info.
ATMs in Indonesia dispense Rupiah in either 50,000 or 100,000 notes, with a sticker indicating which one. Most ATMs have withdrawal limit of 1,250,000 (50,000 note machines) or 3,000,000 (100,000 note machines). It’s worth tracking down the 50,000 note machines so you can reduce fees.
Major hotels take debit/credit cards, but cheaper / smaller accommodations, tourist sites and restaurants tend to only take cash. It’s best to have small denominations as change can be a problem in smaller businesses.
You’ll find Visa and MasterCard are generally equally accepted by ATMs in Indonesia.
Unfortunately, ATM fraud in Indonesia is not uncommon. In particular, tourist areas of Bali see a lot of skimming and the general advice is to use ATMs associated with a bank rather than standalone machines in convenience stores etc. Check out our Travel Money Tips for what to look out for and more general information covering pre-trip planning, fees, scams, and general safety.
Getting Cash Without Using The ATMs In Indonesia:
– Send Money To Indonesia & Pick It Up Locally
With so many overseas workers sending money home to their families, there are lots of local cash pick up points to collect these funds.
In a similar way, you can use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service that has a partnership with a domestic money transfer agent in Indonesia where you can pick up your money. This means when there’s no ATM you can still withdraw cash within a few hours.
Check to see if there is a local authorized cash pick-up point where you are. In Indonesia, this is any branch of the
Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) or PT Pos – collect from any branch of the bank or Indonesian Post Office network.
Bank Rakyat network (BRI)- click HERE for locations
If there’s a branch locally, then follow the step-by-step guide below.
– Step By Step Guide…incl fee free promo code
Note: The process is quicker than the detailed guide suggests. It is currently possible to send from 50 countries, however, Israel and a few others are not yet included due to local government policies
To begin, click World Remit LTD (IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Indonesia’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines)
Once You have chosen ‘Indonesia’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
On the next page make sure the Cash Pickup tab is ticked and click “Continue”
On the next page, where it says “Select a cash pickup payout network” choose your preferred option – Bank Negara Indonesia or PT Pos. for BNI bank or the post office – Bank Rakyat Indonesia for BRI bank.
Enter the amount to send in your currency or receive in Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). The exchange rate & fee (which you can remove with a promo code later) will automatically show. Once you’re happy click “Continue”. You are then prompted to register / create an account. There is no need for a referral code on this page as you will apply your fee-free promo code on the payment page as you process your money transfer.
Once registered you will input details of who you are sending the money to, so for the recipient, put yourself (as your name appears on your Passport) and use the address of your current accommodation. You will also be required to provide a local mobile number, however if you don’t have one, people have successfully used all zeros, or asked their accommodation to use their number. For the sending reason, select “Sending Funds To Self”.
When it comes to payment details, it is important to make sure your name and address match the name on your Debit card and the billing address is used. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE! If your card payment fails for any reason, select the Sofort option and pay using your online banking log-in details.
Almost instantly you will receive a welcome email (don’t worry if this does not arrive) and a confirmation email of your transfer informing you to wait for a further email. In most cases this takes 10-30 minutes (longer if paying via bank details & not debit card or your financial situation is complicated). The final email will say whether identity / regulatory checks have been completed and inform you if your transfer is available to pick up. Note: Sometimes further information may be required from you before they can process the transfer in order to comply with regulatory requirements, however this is unlikely in most cases.
Once complete just go to the pickup point (the closest branch of whichever payout network you chose i.e. Bank Negara Indonesia, PT Pos or Bank Rakyat): -For Bank Negara Indonesia and PT Pos network (The Post Office), show your Passport and quote “Merchantrade” and the 14-digit transaction reference number. -For Bank Rakyat network, show your Passport and quote “Xpress Money” and the 16-digit transaction reference number.
We update this guide every month or so, however, if you have any feedback to help keep this guide up-to-date or make it more comprehensive and easier for others to follow, please Message us on Facebook
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. The promo code above for NO FEES on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions. Click HERE for this service. IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Indonesia’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines. Once You have chosen ‘Indonesia’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started” On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE! For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency). Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
Be safe, reduce ATM fees and more…Here we’ve put together all the money related travel tips we found really helpful during our trips abroad.
Before You Set Off
Ideally have 2 debit cards from different banks, one Visa and one MasterCard. Together with a credit card, this should help you cover most bases when accessing money abroad.
If possible switch to an account / card that offers free ATM withdrawals. These are quite scarce, but there are also other options to reduce ATM fees like signing up for the Wise (formerly TransferWise) debit MasterCard (Click the link or read more about it in the section below).
Set up telephone banking and keep the number to call and PIN / security information handy. If your card is blocked this is vital. Having a note of your ATM card number may also help in this situation.
Set up online banking, then you can:
Check your account from time to time to check for unusual activity.
Transfer money from your savings to your current account in an emergency. In the event of your card being compromised it’s best to keep a moderate amount in your current account so if it is stolen, it is only a small portion of your travel funds.
Pay your credit card balance in full to avoid interest charges if you need to use it due to problems with your debit card. It’s also a good idea to use it every now and then anyway as some banks cancel cards due to inactivity and you don’t want to lose this useful back up.
Tell your bank that you will be using the card abroad so it doesn’t get blocked when you try to use it.
Switch to a 4-digit pin via your branch as some machines only accept 4 digits, so If you have 5, you might struggle.
ATMs
Fees
There are usually 3 fees levied when you use an ATM
Your own bank fees for making an overseas withdrawal.
The foreign ATM fee.
The currency exchange.
For the first two, you can reduce the impact of these by withdrawing the maximum amount you can in one transaction. You can also look into reducing or eliminating some of these fees by signing up for the Wise debit MasterCard (Click the link or read more about it in the section below).
The latter is not usually a problem as the rate is often significantly better than what you can get from exchanging money at a local exchange counter. There are important exceptions to this with some standalone machines. It is becoming more common knowledge that some of these are now making 10% on the currency conversion rate.
If at all possible avoid using the Euronet brand machines as they are one of the worst culprits. Google “euronet” to familiarize yourself with it’s logo as their branding is not always that obvious. Avoid any standalone machine with this sign unless you have little choice. I see many people using these machines totally unaware that sometimes up to 15% of their hard earned cash is being siphoned off during every withdrawal.
If you want to avoid hefty fees and make bigger withdrawals, you can almost always use money transfer services to access your funds. Follow our guides to see how you can send yourself money online via World Remit and pick up the cash at an authorized pick up point nearby.
It is a very similar process to buying something online with your debit card and is probably the quickest way to send money to yourself.
There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first money transfer.
Safety Tips
If possible, use only ATMs inside banks or hotel lobby. For ATMs located on the street, choose a busy street and try to plan your withdrawals to occur during the day time rather than on a night out.
Try to use an ATM attached to a bank where possible as these tend to be tampered with less than standalone machines
Be aware of your surroundings.
Check for Skimmers (see below).
If your card gets swallowed by the ATM, make sure you press cancel before you leave and contact your bank. Waiting for another person to make a withdrawal after you may also give you peace of mind that the operation was terminated.
ATM Malware
Unfortunately there is little you can do to detect or prevent this. Malware uploaded to the ATM presents no physical signs and could enable criminals to intercept bank account numbers and PINs directly from the machine itself.
If you have heard of this happening in a place where you are, try to make your money last till your next stop or follow our destination specific guides. These show how you can send yourself money online via World Remit and pick up the cash at an authorized pick up point nearby. An introductory promo means this method is free to try.
Skimmers
Check for these by trying to wiggle the part of the machine you put your card in. If it moves or falls off then obviously find another ATM. Look also for the presence of double sided tape as this is used so skimming parts can be quickly removed. Unfortunately there are also “deep insert” skimmers that can be behind the shutter and are impossible to detect.
Always use your free hand to cover the panel when you enter your pin so any hidden cameras cannot see what you entered. This means that even if your card is skimmed, they cannot withdraw money from your account. Unfortunately there is the chance that a keypad overlay is placed over the original Keypad. These record your keystrokes in the digital circuitry whilst sending them to the real ATM. As such, your pin can be skimmed and exploited in this way.
Again, if skimmers are a common problem where you are, then stick to the main banks to withdraw cash. You could also consider avoiding ATMs altogether and follow our destination specific guides. These show how you can send yourself money online via World Remit and pick up the cash at an authorized pick up point nearby. An introductory promo means this method is free to try for your first transaction.
Other Considerations
Don’t change money in airports as they offer some of the worse rates you’ll see.
It’s worth noting that ATMs you find in shops, hostels and on busy tourist streets often charge high ATM fees and give terrible currency conversion rates. They may be convenient, but that convenience could cost you big time. If at all possible avoid using the Euro brand machines as they are one of the worst culprits and find an ATM attached to a major bank.
If your card is not working, check the logos on the back. PLUS is linked to Visa, so your Visa card will usually work at those ATMs. MasterCard is associated with Cirrus and Maestro networks, so ATMs that display these usually accept MasterCard.
Getting Cash Without Using An ATMs:
– Send Money Online & Pick It Up Locally
ATMs can be offline, empty or simply not working with your card for whatever reason. In this case you can follow our guides how to send yourself money online via world remit and pick up the cash at an authorized pick up point nearby. It’s actually useful to make a transfer, and become registered with this service because you can opt to also pay via online banking, apple pay or android pay. This means if you lose your ATM card at any point during your travels, you can still access cash in an emergency.
WorldRemit Invite Code: MARKT64
–Reduce ATM Fees With A Wise (formerly TransferWise) MasterCard
It is free to pay for purchases with currencies held in your account
Free ATM withdrawals up to £200 per 30 days (though you may still have to pay the overseas ATM fee)
Only pay a small conversion fee when you convert your money into different currencies — typically between 0.35% and 2%
Automatically convert your money at the real exchange rate
Use the card anywhere in the world that accepts MasterCard
Here’s a link for you to learn more about reducing ATM fees this way.
Sending Money Internationally To A Bank Account With Wise, formerly TransferWise
If, instead of a cash pick up, you are looking to make an International money transfer to a bank, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity, the best option is Wise. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location. Follow THIS LINK for more details
They have an introductory PROMO, so if you are new to the service, and follow the link below, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency).
TransferWise Invite Code: markt826
You can also use World Remit to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. A promo code for NO FEES on your first money transfer is also available for these transactions. Click HERE and ensure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is selected then follow the online instructions. For more information visit this FAQs section.
Carrying Cash
Don’t keep your wallet or purse too easily accessible and avoid getting it out a lot in public
If possible keep a small amount of cash for a few purchases separate from your wallet
Consider having a dummy wallet with a small amount of cash and expired bank cards
Spread your money throughout your belongings e.g. in a zip pocket, laundry bag, money belt & wallet
With high ATM fees becoming more and more common, and ATM overseas withdrawal limits becoming smaller, getting cash whilst traveling abroad can have a significant effect on your budget!!
Add to this the frustrations of finding a cash machine that works with your international card, without a power cut or card skimmer ruining your day, and getting cash on holiday can be stressful and difficult.
There is another solution to access funds without using an ATM. Now that so many overseas workers send cash home to their families, there are lots of local cash pick up points to collect these funds in most countries / tourist destinations. This means that, in a similar way, you can use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service. Our guides tell you which domestic money transfer agents have a partnership with this service so you can pick-up your cash locally. This transfer is normally available to pick up within hours for the first time you do this, and instantly for future transfers.
You can withdraw much more than the cash machine limit and bypass the high ATM fees altogether.
To give this method a try, just search to find the country / destination guide for where you are traveling to / currently staying, or choose from the main menu and follow the instructions to avail the promo code that removes FEES on your first money transfer. Try it out & Say NO to high ATM fees!!!
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. The promo code below for NO FEES on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions. Click HERE for this service. IMPORTANT: If you don’t see your Country in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines. Once You have chosen a Country To Send To, click “Get Started” On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE! For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency). Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
