Why Local Businesses Are Going Cashless

Growing up as someone who loves to travel, when I landed in Bali for a one-month stay in early 2025, I expected the usual mix of cash and cards, but what I found instead was how swiftly a whole island is shifting into a near-cashless economy. From tucked-away warungs in Uluwatu to beach-front resorts in Seminyak, nearly every merchant I encountered preferred (or only accepted) digital payment. And as a traveller relying on mobile connectivity and roaming, it made me realise just how interconnected everything is and how the right eSIM technology can make or break your smooth payment experience.

Here’s why local businesses in places like Bali are embracing cashlessness, how it’s showing up on the ground, and how savvy travellers (yes, like you and me) can turn it into an advantage, especially if you’ve got the right travel-tech in your pocket.

Cutting Risk: No Counterfeit Bills, Less Theft

Think about the little warung in Uluwatu selling lunch for Rp 40,000. If someone hands over a fake note or tries a tricky cash exchange, the owner’s stuck. By going cashless, merchants remove that risk entirely. Indonesia’s unified QR payment system, QRIS, is a big part of this shift. By June 2025, over 39 million merchants were accepting QRIS across the country. For the merchant, onboarding is easier (no endless cash counting or change-issues), and for the traveller, you simply tap, scan or link your wallet. Everything’s transparent.

Simpler Accounting and Greater Efficiency

When I visited a boutique resort in Seminyak in June 2026, I asked how payments worked. The front-desk manager said: “We moved entirely to wallet and QR code payments last year. It saves us hours of reconciliation and we can pull real-time data on what’s selling.”
It makes sense, when you’re running a business in a place with tourism flux (peak, low-season, sudden long-stays), cashless payments give you better visibility. According to recent data, the Indonesian payments-infrastructure market is expected to grow strongly from USD 110.7 billion in 2025 and heading toward USD 253.8 billion by 2030. For local businesses, that means faster settlement, fewer human errors, and more focus on service instead of managing piles of bills.

Meeting the Traveller/Guest Expectation

Here’s the part that hits home for you as a traveller: Many businesses in Bali expect you to go cashless. In a beach club I visited, when I pulled out cash the server politely said, “Sorry, we only accept QRIS, cards or e-wallet.” Why? Because global travellers are digital-savvy. You’ve got a smartphone, you’re connected and you want payment to be as fluid as streaming your podcast on the beach. Bali’s version of this is very real. For you, that means less hassle: no hunting for a money changer, no worrying if the merchant will accept your card, no fumbling with coins. But it also means one thing you must have: reliable mobile data.

Why Your eSIM Matters

Here’s where ORA eSIM slides into the story, because whether you’re in a warung, beach café or resort lobby, if you’re going to pay digitally, you need strong mobile connectivity.
Say you arrive in Bali, you land at the airport, you’ve activated your ORA eSIM, you’re online in minutes. You scan a QR code, the payment goes through. Smooth.
If you don’t have that connectivity? You could be stuck: QR scans fail, card readers hang, you fall back to cash or run into exchange-rate issues. So yes, the business shift to cashless helps merchants and appeals to travellers, but it also pushes up the bar for travellers’ tech game. Having an ORA eSIM (or something equivalent) becomes part of the travel kit.

The Traveller Perspective: What You Should Do

As a traveller to Bali or anywhere else going cashless, here’s my conversational rundown:

• Set up digital payment in advance

Ensure your wallet, card or local bank is ready for QR scanning or contactless.

• Make sure mobile data is solid

No offline payment if there’s no connectivity. That’s where ORA eSIM helps with instant setup, good global roaming, and less stress.

• Check merchant readiness

Especially for smaller warungs or remote spots, verify if they accept QRIS/cards or only cash.

• Keep small cash just in case

Even in cashless-leaning places, backup cash still helps if tech hiccups happen.

• Track your spend

Digital payments give you real-time visibility, great for travel budgeting.

• Enjoy the ease

Being able to pay with a tap or scan means less mental load on the trip and more time enjoying Bali’s beach, jungle, vibe.

We’re not talking about something half-baked. As of mid-2025, QRIS merchants exceeded 38 million nationwide. The payments-infrastructure is robust. The market size is growing rapidly and digital wallets are becoming second nature. For travellers, that means the landscape you land in is optimized for cashless so you’re wise to match the pace.
For Bali specifically: Being a top global travel destination (both for experiential and digital nomads), the move to cashless is even more intense than other Indonesian provinces. So you arriving in 2026 will find the system already well-oiled.

FAQs

What payment methods do most merchants in Bali accept now?
Many accept QRIS (standard Indonesian QR payment), contactless cards, e-wallets or app-based payments. Some smaller stalls might still take cash, but increasingly only digital.

What if my phone or mobile data fails and I can’t scan a QR code?
That’s a risk. If connectivity drops, the transaction may fail. That’s why having reliable mobile data via an eSIM like ORA eSIM helps. Also carry a small amount of cash for backup.

Do I need an Indonesian bank account to pay via QRIS?
Not always. Many merchants accept international cards or global wallets, but QRIS is native so local e-wallets and Indonesian bank-linked apps have the smoothest flow. As a traveller, ensuring your payment instrument is recognised is smart.

Is going cashless safe in Bali? (Security wise)
Digital payments can reduce risks like counterfeit bills or theft of cash, but you still need to guard your account security, use trusted apps, and avoid public WiFi for payments. Good mobile data security practices apply.

How does using an eSIM like ORA eSIM help me in this scenario?
With strong, immediate mobile connectivity you avoid payment failure due to offline or roaming issues. You can guarantee the QR code will scan, the card will interact, the wallet will update and everything goes smoothly. That means less stress while travelling.