Payments lessons from a trip to Bali

💳 #Payments Lessons from My Recent Trip to #Bali!
Travel always teaches you something new. This time, it was about how different the digital payment experience is compared to India.
Here’s what I observed 👇
- #QRCodes are almost invisible, unlike India, where they’re on every chai tapri!
- #TapandPay dominates. #ApplePay and #GooglePay are the preferred modes, offering convenience and security. Dip is almost dead!

💰 The Challenges
- #Cash is still king for small payments. For transactions below IDR 10,000 (~₹50), most shops only accept cash.
- #MDR still hurts! Even reputed hotels and grocery stores charged 3% extra for card transactions.
- #Government attractions = cash-only. Ticket counters at temples and parks rarely accept card payments.
So, ironically, you end up carrying wads of cash on an island that thrives on tourism!
In fact, my son was thrilled to see an #ATM dispensing cash, his first real “cash” experience! 😄

Back home, #UPI has changed everything:
- No MDR → even small merchants happily accept digital payments.
- No PoS hardware → no barrier to adoption.
- Digital inclusion → from metros to remote villages, a QR code does it all!
The result? India leapfrogged an entire generation of payments infrastructure.

While the world is still figuring out Tap & Pay economics, India has made ₹1 payments fully digital and frictionless.

Sometimes, we don’t realize how far ahead we are until we travel elsewhere.
India’s payment revolution isn’t just about technology; it’s about inclusion, accessibility, and trust.

Have you noticed similar payment differences while traveling abroad? Would love to hear your experiences.