If you need to send money to friends or family members in Indonesia, you might worry that the process will be complicated and costly. Sending money from Canada to Jakarta or anywhere else in Indonesia doesn’t have to be expensive and labourious. Compare the transfer fees and exchange rates of the options available to you to get the most Indonesian rupiahs for your dollar.
Send money to Indonesia with WorldRemit
An online money transfer service with cash pick-up, bank account to bank account and airtime transfers available.
Choose how you want to send your money - via bank transfer, cash pickup or mobile money
Online money transfer providers typically offer the strongest exchange rates and lowest fees on money transfers to Indonesia. Some offer cash pickup in as little as a few minutes, while others seamlessly transfer to bank accounts. Banks, PayPal and other options are available but come with high fees, weaker rates and longer turnaround times.
Digital money transfer services
Companies like OFX and CurrencyTransfer specialize in foreign currencies, making them some of the most cost-effective transfers. Most offer transfers directly to your recipient’s Indonesian bank account, often in as little as a day or two.
Cash transfers
Services like MoneyGram allow you to transfer cash for pickup at a local branch in Indonesia— often in 15 minutes. While it’s a fast way to send money, you’ll pay for the convenience in weak exchange rates and high fees. If a cash pickup is necessary, compare MoneyGram to digital services like WorldRemit or Remitly when possible.
Banks
The Indonesian rupiah isn’t a popular currency, so your local bank probably won’t be able to exchange CAD for IDR. If your bank does support the Indonesian rupiah, beware of high fees and wide margins on the exchange rate compared to digital and other options.
Let’s crunch the numbers: Sending $1,000 to Indonesia
Let’s say you need to send $1,000 CAD to IDR, to family in Indonesia. Here’s what you might face as far as fees and exchange rates as of October, 1 2020.
Digital money transfer service
Cash transfer
Bank transfer
Fee
$0
$5
$50 + additional correspondent bank fees
Exchange rate
1 CAD = 10,938 IDR
1 CAD = 10,641 IDR
1 USD = 10,542 IDR
Transfer speed
1-2 day
Minutes
2-5 days
Amount received
IDR 10,938,000
IDR 10,641,00
IDR 10,542,000
Verdict
Best value
Fastest
Slowest and most expensive
The bank option ends up being both the slowest and gets the smallest amount of money to your recipient. If you go with the digital money transfer service, your recipient ends up with IDR 396,000 more than the bank offers. If speed is crucial, a cash transfer can typically have your transfer to Indonesia in as little as 15 minutes.
How to send money to Indonesia online
Sign up and send money with a digital money transfer specialist in four steps:
Sign up for a free account. Pick a provider and sign up for a free online account using your contact information, proof of ID and preferred payment method.
Provide transfer details. Submit your recipient’s contact information and pick a delivery method. If transferring to a bank, you’ll need their Indonesian bank account details.
Confirm transfer details. Double-check your payment method, expected fees and destination.
Save your receipt. Record your receipt’s confirmation number to track the progress of your transfer to Indonesia. Some money transfer providers send a text or email when your transfer is complete.
How to get the most out of your money transfer to Indonesia
Weigh costs and fees against convenience, and learn how to compare money transfer providers that send to Indonesia to meet your needs:
Exchange rates. The CADD to IDR relationship fluctuates often, so using a service that allows you to lock-in exchange prices may help you save money down the line.
Transfer fees. Transferring money overseas nearly always requires fees, but they might be hidden in the exchange rate. When sending large amounts, it may be cheaper to pay a flat fee to secure a stronger exchange rate.
Transfer limits. How much you can send varies by company, and different amounts can attract higher or lower fees. Shop around for the best deal on the amount of Indonesian rupiahs you’re sending.
Turnaround. Transferring money through a local bank can take a business week or longer. If you need the funds delivered quickly, seek out a digital specialist that offers instant transfers to Indonesia.
Minimum limits. Average incomes vary widely between Canada and Indonesia, which means companies with high minimums transfers may not be your best choice.
Transfer methods. Whether you want money sent to an Indonesian bank account or picked up as cash at a local agent, narrow down a company that matches your preferred delivery method.
Emergency cash transfers to Indonesia
When it’s more important to get your money to Indonesia quickly, look for money transfer companies that support cash pickup in minutes. You can pay with a credit or debit card for fast pickup, but fees are higher than other methods.
How to send money to Indonesia without a bank account
Cash transfer services can help you if you don’t have a bank account. If you don’t have a bank account, look for a local company that supports storefronts for cash payments. These services include agent locations in other countries that allow your recipient to pick up cash without a bank account.
Indonesia’s exchange rates explained
The exchange rate determines how much one country’s currency is worth in another country’s currency. When a country’s currency is strong, it yields more money when exchanging it in a country with a weaker currency. Indonesia’s exchange rate is flexible compared to the Canadian dollar, which means it sometimes shifts hundreds rupiahs or more per dollar in a day, if not more. Factors that influence the exchange rate include interest rates, economic stability and inflation.
Track how the Indonesian rupiah trades against the Canadian dollar in our historical rate chart.
Documents needed for sending to and receiving money in Indonesia
To send money to Indonesia from Canada, you’ll need government-issued ID and other documents, while documents needed to pick up money in Indonesia may be different by company.
Documents to send money from Canada
To send money from Canada to Indonesia, you’ll need documentation and details that include:
Identification. Most services require a driver’s license, passport or other government-issued ID. Some services allow you to send transfers without ID, but they may require your SIN.
Payment method. Your service may accept credit or debit cards, cash, bank accounts or personal cheques.
Recipient information. Submit your recipient’s name as it appears on their ID, along with their phone number, Indonesian bank account and routing number.
Documents to receive money in Indonesia
To pick up money in person, documentation can include:
Transfer number. The person sending you money can forward the transfer’s confirmation details — called a PIN, a MTCN, a reference number or a tracking number, depending on the company.
Government-issued ID. An Indonesian passport, an Indonesian National ID card, an Indonesian driver’s license or similar government-issued ID.
Proof of address. Indonesian residents may have to prove their address using a utility bill or something similar.
Sender’s information. Take along your sender’s full name, the sending country and their address, if known.
Bottom line
Sending your hard-earned money to Indonesia shouldn’t cost a fortune. Compare transfer companies that specialize in foreign currencies for the strongest rates, lowest fees and flexible delivery. For transfers to other countries, rely on our country specific guides the next time you need to make a transfer.
Shirley Liu is Finder's global program manager. She was previously the publisher for banking and investments and has also written comparisons for energy, money transfers, Uber Eats and many other topics. Shirley has a Master of Commerce and a Bachelor of Media, Journalism and Communications from the University of New South Wales. She is passionate about helping people find the best deal for their needs.
Read Finder’s BoC Interest Rate Forecast Report for forecasts from some of Canada’s brightest minds in economics and property as well as their thoughts on how recent rate hikes could affect Canada’s property market.
It depends on a number of things such as the transfer speed, how you would like to transfer the cash and how the recipient wants to receive the cash. Each service also offers different exchange rates. On this page we have a list of tips to help you compare transfer services under “How to compare transfer companies when transferring money to Indonesia”.
We are currently working on updating our table to include Indonesia, so make sure you check back at a later date.
Our Money Transfer finder table allows you to compare exchange rates and more of different international money transfer services. Please note, we are currently working to include Indonesian currency in our calculator. However you can contact the money transfer services direct to enquire about sending money to Indonesia specifically.
Otherwise you can speak to an FX expert direct by filling out the form at the bottom of this page – a representative will then contact you.
Please note, we are a comparison website and provide general advice only.
How likely would you be to recommend finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
Advertiser Disclosure
finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
WorldRemit Deals
what is the best way to send instant cash from darwin to lombok indonesia
Hi Jason,
Thanks for your question.
It depends on a number of things such as the transfer speed, how you would like to transfer the cash and how the recipient wants to receive the cash. Each service also offers different exchange rates. On this page we have a list of tips to help you compare transfer services under “How to compare transfer companies when transferring money to Indonesia”.
We are currently working on updating our table to include Indonesia, so make sure you check back at a later date.
Hope this helps.
Clarizza
What is the cheapest and fastest way to send money from darwin to Lombok Indonesia
Hi Jason,
Thanks for your question.
Our Money Transfer finder table allows you to compare exchange rates and more of different international money transfer services. Please note, we are currently working to include Indonesian currency in our calculator. However you can contact the money transfer services direct to enquire about sending money to Indonesia specifically.
Otherwise you can speak to an FX expert direct by filling out the form at the bottom of this page – a representative will then contact you.
Please note, we are a comparison website and provide general advice only.
Regards,
Clarizza