The simplest Jakarta transport payment setup for visitors

For most visitors, the simplest setup is one Indonesian stored-value card per person. Buy a Mandiri e-Money, BCA Flazz, BNI TapCash, BRI BRIZZI or Bank Jakarta JakCard, add rupiah credit, and use the same card to tap in and out.

These cards can be used across MRT Jakarta, LRT Jakarta and TransJakarta. Jakarta’s transport guidance says electronic-money cards are sold through issuing banks, minimarkets and vending machines at some MRT, LRT and TransJakarta stations or stops. Cash may be accepted when buying a card at some outlets or machines, but the transport gates themselves are cashless (Jakarta provincial government).

The easiest setup

1. Buy one card for every traveller. MRT Jakarta and TransJakarta apply one-card-per-passenger rules; do not plan to pass one card back through a gate.
2. Add a useful starting balance. Rp50,000–Rp100,000 is a practical allowance for several urban trips, not an operator requirement. The card’s purchase price is separate, so not all the money paid necessarily becomes travel credit.
3. Use the same card at entry and exit. Never change cards midway through a journey.
4. Check the balance before entering if it may be low. Ask station staff or use an available balance-check terminal.

A minimarket is often the simplest place to look for a card. Selected transport stations and TransJakarta stops also have vending machines, but stock and machine availability can change.

MRT Jakarta: local card or eligible foreign contactless card

For MRT trips between Lebak Bulus and Bundaran HI, a supported Indonesian stored-value card is the dependable option. Tap at the entrance gate and tap the same card at the destination. The regular distance-based fare is currently no more than Rp14,000.

MRT Jakarta also accepts some bank cards at its contactless EMV gates. Eligible overseas-issued contactless Visa and Mastercard cards can be used without registration; the fare is calculated by distance and charged later. Domestic contactless debit cards are not supported universally (Bank Mandiri’s MRT EMV guidance).

One bank card can pay for only one passenger on a journey. If the exit tap is missed, MRT Jakarta says it may charge the maximum current fare of Rp14,000.

This bank-card option is useful if the day involves only the MRT. Do not assume that a foreign Visa or Mastercard accepted at an MRT gate will also work on TransJakarta or either LRT system. Buy a local stored-value card for a mixed-mode day.

TransJakarta: tap in and tap out

Kompas reported on 29 September 2026 that the regular TransJakarta fare was Rp3,500, with an economy fare of Rp2,000 from 05:00 to 07:00 (Kompas). Jakarta had announced a fare adjustment for 1 January 2027 but had not yet published the final amount at the research date, so check the fare displayed when travelling after that date (Tempo).

At a gated bus rapid transit halte, tap when entering and again when leaving. On street-running non-BRT buses, tap the reader inside the bus when boarding and again before alighting. TransJakarta’s instructions for its on-bus readers require both actions (TransJakarta).

A missed tap-out can leave an unfinished journey on the card and create a problem at the next reader. TransJakarta also requires one payment card per passenger (ANTARA).

QRIS Tap is available through the BRImo app on compatible NFC Android phones, including at BRT gates and aboard non-BRT buses (TransJakarta). That is less useful to a short-term visitor without the required Indonesian banking setup, so a physical card remains the straightforward choice.

“LRT” refers to two separate systems

Jakarta has LRT Jakarta and LRT Jabodebek. They have different operators, networks and fares.

LRT Jakarta

LRT Jakarta is the city-operated line between Kelapa Gading and Manggarai, via stations including Pegangsaan Dua and Velodrome. Use a supported Indonesian stored-value card and tap in and out.

Kompas reported on 13 October 2026 that its temporary flat fare remained Rp5,000 while the city considered a revision. Check station notices because no date or amount for the revised fare had then been confirmed (Kompas).

LRT Jabodebek

LRT Jabodebek is the regional system from Dukuh Atas through Kuningan and Cawang, branching towards Bekasi and Cibubur. It accepts Mandiri e-Money, BRIZZI, TapCash, Flazz and JakCard, as well as the KAI Commuter Multi Trip Card. The operator also lists Access by KAI and LinkAja as payment options (LRT Jabodebek).

Fares vary by origin, destination, time and day. The operator’s current tables start at Rp5,000 and show fares as high as Rp20,000 on some station pairs; consult the correct peak, off-peak or weekend/public-holiday table for the planned trip (LRT Jabodebek fare table).

The Jakarta integrated-fare cap described below covers LRT Jakarta, not LRT Jabodebek.

When the Rp10,000 integrated fare helps

JakLingko’s integrated fare covers qualifying journeys that combine TransJakarta BRT, MRT Jakarta and LRT Jakarta. It begins at Rp2,500, adds Rp250 per kilometre and is capped at Rp10,000 for a journey made within 180 minutes (Jakarta Smart City).

Simply owning a compatible card is not enough to receive this fare. To use the cap with a physical card:

1. Find a Balance Check Terminal (BCT) at a participating MRT or LRT station or TransJakarta halte.
2. Activate the card as a transport card.
3. Tap in and out correctly on every leg, always using that card.
4. Complete the combined journey within three hours.

The compatible cards listed by Jakarta Smart City are Flazz, TapCash, BRIZZI, JakCard and Mandiri e-Money. BCT activation is for accessing the integrated fare; it is not presented as a prerequisite for ordinary single-mode pay-as-you-go trips.

The cap can help on a journey such as LRT Jakarta from Pegangsaan Dua to Velodrome, TransJakarta from the Rawamangun area towards CSW, and MRT from ASEAN to Lebak Bulus. For a few isolated rides, ordinary tapping is simpler.

Avoid common payment failures

• Do not rely on cash at a gate or aboard a bus. Use it to buy or reload a card only where an outlet or machine accepts it.
• Carry one card per traveller. One card cannot admit a couple or family together on the same journey.
• Always tap out, including on a street-running TransJakarta bus.
• Use the correct reader. MRT stations may distinguish between stored-value cards, contactless bank cards and operator tickets.
• Keep a balance buffer. A card purchase cost or a longer LRT Jabodebek journey can otherwise leave too little credit.
• Check fares near the travel date. Both the LRT Jakarta fare and TransJakarta’s 2027 pricing were under review as of 30 October 2026.