IDR Exchange Rates

Whether you’re buying a beach house in Bali, sending money to your loved ones or planning to move there permanently - if finding the best way to transfer funds to Indonesia is on your mind, we can help! Mozo’s handy exchange rate calculator below lets you compare foreign exchange providers offering the best exchange rates for the Indonesian Rupiah, so you can find the most convenient way to kick off your currency transfer.

Your essential guide for sending money to Indonesia

Are you still a little confused on how an international money transfer actually works? How your money travels from your bank account in Australia and finally reaches the recipient in Indonesia? Then go on and read our step-by-step guide that takes you through the entire process and answers all your questions around sending money overseas.  

Step 1: Ask yourself the following questions

How much money will I transfer?

If the answer is less than $200, then be sure you’re not spending a huge chunk on transfer fees! For small transactions, peer-to-peer lenders like TransferWise might be your best bet because they charge a low transfer fee and apply the mid-market rate to convert your money (which is basically better than what a bank will offer you).    

But if you’re dealing with a bigger amount, you should consider going with a foreign exchange specialist. Firstly because unlike the big banks, they don’t generally have a cap on the maximum amount you can transfer at a given time. And secondly, many FX providers offer fee free transfers when you’re sending a lot of money, say more than $10,000.   

Will it be a one-off or regular transfer to Indonesia?

Think about it - are you sending an anniversary present to your parents in Jakarta or are you setting up an overseas business that requires you to transfer money regularly? Many foreign currency specialists offer better deals if you sign up for a long term account with them.     

How soon do I need to send the money?

Generally, after you book an international money transfer, it can take anywhere between 3-7 days for the money to actually reach the recipient’s bank account. This is fine if you’re in no hurry, but if you need to send money urgently, there are providers that will make the process quicker for an extra fee.    

Am I comfortable making the transfer online?

Online transfers are a good option because they’re almost always cheaper than making the transfer in person. Wondering how? Consider this - while Commonwealth Bank charges $30 for transferring IDR at a branch, it only charges $22 for sending the same amount online. And an online foreign exchange specialist could turn out to be even cheaper with fee free transfers.

You may not care so much about this fee if it’s a one-off transfer, but if this is going to be a regular affair, remember that every dollar adds up!

Step 2: Find the best IDR exchange rate

Instead of going to every individual FX provider’s website to hunt down the best IDR exchange rate, you can simply scan over Mozo’s exchange rate calculator above to find the best deals of the day.

Remember that even a tiny difference in the conversion rate can make a big difference to the final value you receive. Check out this scenario - at the time of writing, TranserWise was offering IDR 49,204,391 for AUD $5,000, whereas a big bank was only offering IDR 46,894,892. Now think what you could do with a saving of IDR 2129499 - which is more than AUD $200!

Step 3: Double check on any additional charges

While the conversion rate and transfer fee are the two major price points you need to keep in mind while booking an IMT transfer, here are a few other charges that you should be aware of:   

Cancellation charges

In the case you need to cancel a transfer after you’ve booked the deal, keep in mind you may be required to pay a fee of around $25.

Amendment charges

After the deal has been finalised, if you make changes to payment instructions, such as alter the beneficiary details, bank account and contact information or if the recipient’s bank is unable to process the payment, you may need to pay amendment charges of around $25. So make sure you double check all the details before you accept the transfer to avoid this bite!  

Overseas bank charges

Apart from the transfer fees charged by your financial provider, the beneficiary’s bank may also apply a commission for receiving the funds, which will vary depending on the bank and currency. These charges are usually deducted by the overseas bank from the amount received by the beneficiary.

Step 4: Book the international money transfer

Once you’ve understood the different fees and features of your shortlisted FX provider, you can easily book the overseas money transfer online. All you need to do is click on the ‘Go to site’ button on the exchange rate calculator above, which will then take you to the provider’s website.   

You can then register for an account with the provider and confirm that you’re happy with the final costs and exchange rate of the transfer. Next up, you’ll need to share the details of the recipient’s bank account and pay the agreed amount for the transfer, which can be easily done via electronic transfer.  

The information that you’ll need to give the provider for a successful transfer include:

1. The recipient’s full name, address and account number

2. The bank code, full name and address of the bank that you’re transferring IDR to

3. The exact amount you’re going to transfer

After the deal has been booked, the recipient in Indonesia will usually receive the money in around 3-5 days. 

Now that you’re clear on all the steps for sending money to Indonesia, scroll up to the top of the page to compare deals today.