Indonesian businesses use two paper instruments: the cek (cheque), which can be cashed, and the bilyet giro, which can only move money from one account to another. Both are valid for 70 days, both clear through Bank Indonesia's national clearing system (SKNBI), and both carry a serious penalty if they bounce: a place on Bank Indonesia's national blacklist.
This guide explains the difference between cek and bilyet giro, how to write the rupiah amount, how long each stays valid, how clearing works, and how to set up printing for BCA, BNI and BRI cheques.
Cek or bilyet giro: what is the difference?
Both come from your current account (giro) and look similar, but they work differently in law and in practice.
| Cek | Bilyet giro | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Indonesian Commercial Code (KUHD) | Bank Indonesia Regulation 18/41/PBI/2016 |
| Cash at the counter | Yes, unless crossed | No, transfer to an account only |
| Payee | Can be a named payee or bearer | Must be a named payee with an account |
| Dates | Date of issue | Date of issue and a separate effective date |
| Validity | 70 days | 70 days from the date of issue |
A cek is a payment order that the bank pays on presentation, in cash or into an account. A bilyet giro is an instruction to transfer funds. Under the Bank Indonesia regulation on bilyet giro, in force since 1 April 2017, a bilyet giro is not a security but a non-cash, paper-based transfer instrument, and the effective date became a formal requirement. That second date is what makes bilyet giro the natural instrument for post-dated payments: you issue it today with an effective date next month, and the bank will not move the money before then.
Use a cek when the payee may need cash or wants the money now. Use a bilyet giro for supplier payments, instalments and anything you want to schedule, because it cannot be cashed by whoever happens to hold it.
Validity: 70 days
A cek must be presented within 70 days of its date of issue; this comes from Article 206 of the Commercial Code. For bilyet giro, the 2016 regulation reduced validity from 70 days plus six months to 70 days from the date of issue. After that, the bank will not pay and the drawer is no longer obliged to keep funds available for it.
Seventy days is much shorter than the six months common in many countries, so deposit Indonesian cheques promptly and do not date a bilyet giro so far ahead that its effective date falls near the end of its validity. Our general note on cheque validity compares other countries.
Writing the amount: rupiah in words
The rupiah has very large everyday figures. A modest invoice runs to seven or eight digits, so the amount in words is long and usually needs both lines. The rupiah is officially divided into 100 sen, but sen are not used in practice; amounts are whole rupiah.
- Words system: use the million and billion system. IDR 12,500,000 is twelve million five hundred thousand rupiah.
- Language: Indonesian cheques are normally written in Bahasa Indonesia ("dua belas juta lima ratus ribu rupiah"). ChequeMaster prints the amount in words in English, for example "Rupiah Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Only". Ask your bank whether English wording is accepted on your cek and bilyet giro before printing a full run.
- Figures: keep thousand separators on. A figure of 12500000 without grouping is easy to misread or alter.
- Fill the space: end the words with "Only" or asterisks so nothing can be added.
Write the date clearly in day, month, year order, and on a bilyet giro fill both the issue date and the effective date. Keep everything clear of the coded band at the bottom of the leaf.
Clearing through SKNBI
Cek and bilyet giro drawn on another bank clear through SKNBI (Sistem Kliring Nasional Bank Indonesia), Bank Indonesia's national clearing system, as debit clearing items. Settlement for cheques and bilyet giro runs once a day, so a cheque deposited before your bank's cutoff is typically settled the same or the next working day, depending on the region. Very large amounts may have to go by RTGS transfer instead; ask your bank for its current limits and cut-off times.
Bounced cheques and the national blacklist
General information, not legal advice. Laws and bank rules change; check with your bank or a qualified lawyer for your situation.
A cek or bilyet giro returned for insufficient funds is called cek kosong or giro kosong. Under Bank Indonesia's rules, a drawer who issues three or more bounced cheques or bilyet giro below Rp500 million at the same bank within six months, or one of Rp500 million or more, is placed on the Daftar Hitam Nasional (national blacklist). On a first listing, the right to use cheques and bilyet giro is frozen for a year, across all banks. Repeat cases can lead to account closure, and the payee may also pursue the debt through the courts.
The safest habit is a simple register: every cek and bilyet giro you issue, with its effective date and amount, checked against your balance before each date. See why cheques bounce for the most common causes.
Pre-added Indonesian bank layouts
ChequeMaster is not limited to these banks. It works with any bank's cheque, in any country. The layouts below are simply the Indonesian bank layouts that come pre-added, so you can start printing without any setup. For any other bank, build a layout from a scan of a blank leaf in a few minutes, and add as many banks and layouts as you need.
- Bank Central Asia (BCA)
- Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI)
- Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI)
The three banks' leaves are similar in size but the field positions differ, so each has its own layout. Indonesian cheques are shallow, so set the printer's paper guides carefully and check vertical position first on a test print. For a bilyet giro, or any other bank, build a layout from a scan of a blank leaf with the layout editor, adding a field for the effective date.
Setting up ChequeMaster for Indonesia
- Choose Indonesian Rupiah as the currency and 2 decimal digits.
- Select the million/billion words system and switch thousand separators on.
- Set a day-first date format.
- Create a cheque book with your bank's layout and the exact number range on the leaves. Keep both amount-in-words lines in use; long rupiah amounts need them.
- Print a test on plain paper and compare against a real leaf. Check vertical position first; see fixing alignment.
ChequeMaster runs on Windows, prints on bank-issued leaves with an ordinary printer, and records each cheque's number, payee, amount, date and status so you can see which ones are still outstanding. The amount in words tool shows the English wording for any figure before you print.
