Money and Paying

CASH - CREDIT CARDS - ATMS and MONEY CHANGERS

CASH - Cash is still an important form of payment in Bukit Lawang. So make sure you carry enough with you to pay for your small shopping, transportation and food & drinks. The 100,000Rp bills are only useful if you intend to buy a high-priced item or spend a lot of money at the same place. Most small shops and street sellers will struggle to make change, so 50,000 and 20,000 Rp notes will be the way to go. 

Please note that the Indonesian government only allows you to bring in cash at the maximum value of 100,000,000 rupiah.

There are coins with the value of Rp. 50, Rp. 100, Rp. 200, Rp. 500 and Rp. 1,000 
Notes are available at Rp. 1,000, Rp. 2,000, Rp. 5,000, Rp. 10,000, Rp. 20,000, Rp. 50,000, and Rp. 100,000,- 

CASH TIPS - Some  hotels accept credit cards but most times smaller places like guesthouses or homestays do not. Check before hand if a store or restaurant accepts credit cards and if indeed their card swipe machine (EDC) is working.

Hold on to a few Rp. 500 and Rp. 1,000 coins and forget about the smaller ones. They take up space and are hardly worth their weight. Don’t be surprised if at a supermarket your change of money includes a few pieces of candy instead of Rp. 50 or Rp. 100 coins.

Always carry a bit of cash with you. It will come handy when you decide to buy a coconut, grilled corn on the cob or a sarong on the beach. Tipping the staff at the hotel, spa and restaurant is also usually done in cash.

Your cash at markets, food stalls and small shops. Do not expect to be able to use your credit cards here.

MONEY CHANGER - Major currencies like the US, Australian dollar and Euro can easily be exchanged in banks, hotels and money changers. Keep in mind that the rates fluctuate every day and not all notes are accepted. Old, folded, damaged and dirty notes are often rejected or exchanged at a lower rate than a clean crisp bill. Particularly the EURO  notes.

Money changers offer the best rates and are often conveniently open from 9am till 6pm. They can be found throughout the Bukit Lawang Village. 

ATM MACHINE - ATMs are bit far 10km from Bukit Lawang. most populated areas and most accept nonlocal ATM cards and credit cards for cash withdrawals. Debit cards are accepted by some ATMs on the Maestro and Cirrus networks.

ATM TIPS - ATMs dispense either 50,000 or 100,000 notes. A sticker will clearly indicate which one.

Most ATMs in Bali allow a maximum withdrawal of 1,250,000 (50,000 bill machines) to 3,000,000 rupiah (100,000 bill machines) per transaction with a total maximum of 6,000,000 rupiah withdrawal a day. Be aware that often machines will hand out the money first before returning your card. Make sure you do not walk away without taking your card!. 
Rates and transaction fees depend on your bank back home. You may like to check the charges with your bank before withdrawing money. The most popular ATMs to withdraw money from are Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI ),Bank Central Asia (BCA), Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI), There have been a few cases of digital pad skimming devices found in ATMs. It is always wise to use ATMs placed in banks, shopping malls and places with security camera.

CREDIT CARD - Some Hotel and restaurants  do accept credit . Visa and MasterCard are the most accepted credit cards in Bukit Lawang. 
Keep in mind that very often there will be a 3 to sometimes even 5% surcharge on credit card transactions. This is, because the credit card companies keep that percentage for themselves, and the vendors on Bukit Lawang will charge that fee back to their customer.