First, the zeros
Rupiah has a lot of zeros, and the first-day mistake is handing over Rp 100,000 when you meant Rp 10,000. Two local words fix it:
- ribu = thousand. Written "rb" or "k" on menus: 50rb = Rp 50,000.
- juta = million. Written "jt": 1,5 jt = Rp 1,500,000 (Indonesians use a comma where we'd use a decimal point).
The quick maths: knock three zeros off and divide by about 12.7. So Rp 100,000 is roughly A$8. Use the converter
Which ATM to use
Use a machine attached to a bank branch or inside a mall or minimart, in daylight. The fees below are the Bali bank's charge; your own card's fee comes on top.
| ATM | Fee on foreign cards | Per-withdrawal limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCA | Reports vary: free to about Rp 30,000 unverified | About Rp 3,000,000 | Most common bank ATM in Bali |
| BNI | Reports vary: free to about Rp 30,000 unverified | Rp 2,000,000–3,000,000 | Lower caps reported on some machines |
| Mandiri | Rp 50,000 since 22 Feb 2026 | Varies | Now the priciest of the big three, per guides |
Sources: Bali Zero, ForexFee, Destined for Bali, checked 2026-10-25. Travel guides disagree on BCA and BNI; banks don't publish these clearly. The fee shows on the ATM screen before you confirm, so check it there.
Your card's fees (the bit that adds up)
The Bali bank's fee is only half of it. Your Aussie card can charge a foreign fee and an overseas ATM fee. Cards built for travel don't:
- Wise: up to A$400 a month in ATM withdrawals with no Wise fee, then 2.69% (from 1 May 2026). (Countryman, checked 2026-10-25)
- Revolut (Standard plan): about A$350 a month, or 5 withdrawals, free; then around 2%. (Revolut AU, checked 2026-10-25) unverified
Full Wise vs Revolut comparison
Money changers: licensed only
If you'd rather swap Aussie cash, use a licensed changer. Bank Indonesia says the signs are:
- The Bank Indonesia licensed-changer (KUPVA) logo on display, which carries a QR code you can scan to check the licence
- A business licence certificate and the company's official name
- Staff asking for your passport, which is a legal anti-money-laundering step, not a red flag
Bisnis Indonesia, citing Bank Indonesia · Tempo, checked 2026-10-25
Bank Indonesia was still investigating 68 suspected unlicensed changers in Bali in 2025. (Antara, checked 2026-10-25)