Frequency of Digital Wallet Use in Indonesia

Currently, many people use the internet for financial services. According to a survey by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo) and the Katadata Insight Center (KIC), titled "Status Literasi Digital di Indonesia 2021" (Status of Digital Literacy in Indonesia 2021), 65.4 percent of respondents most frequently use digital wallets.

A digital wallet or e-wallet is an electronic application used for online transaction payments using a device without cards or cash. The survey recorded the frequency of digital wallet use in 2021. The highest percentage (26.4%) of people used digital wallets once a month. The second most frequent usage was several times a month (22.8%).

The third most frequent usage was two to three times a month (16.8%). This was followed by other frequencies: once a week (14.5%), two to three times a day (9.1%), every day (6.4%), and those who did not use a digital wallet at all (4%).

The total number of respondents in this survey was 10,000 people. The sample consisted of household members aged 13-70 years who accessed the internet in the last 3 months. With the rapid development of digital-based payments, Bank Indonesia (BI) has regulated its standardization by requiring all service providers to use the Indonesian Quick Response Code Standard (QRIS).

In an online discussion held by Kominfo in mid-2021, Bondan Wicaksono, a lecturer at STIE UniSadhuGuna Business School, explained that digital wallets have several benefits, such as ease of use, protection from counterfeit money, faster transactions, practicality, a complete transaction history, and avoidance of virus exposure during a pandemic.

In the same discussion, Rizki Ayu Febriana from Kaizen Room explained that users need to be wise in using digital wallets. This includes choosing a trusted digital wallet provider, creating a secure password and changing it regularly, never sharing OTP codes with anyone, regularly checking balances and transaction history, and avoiding using public Wi-Fi for financial transactions.