Ask your family in Indonesia how you should send them money, and their answer is often a wallet name. GoPay. OVO. DANA. ShopeePay. Not a bank branch, not an account number: a phone app they already have open.
This is because Indonesia has grown one of the most active mobile-wallet ecosystems in Southeast Asia. Most Indonesians under 40 tap and pay for everything from a Gojek ride to a Shopee order to a bill split with a friend, all through a wallet on their phone. If you are sending money home from South Africa, the right wallet is often the smoothest place for the money to land. This guide walks through what the main wallets are, who typically uses each one, and how to send money to any of them with Mama Money. For the full sending mechanics, see our complete guide to sending money to Indonesia.
A mobile wallet in Indonesia is a smartphone app that holds Rupiah balance, linked to your recipient's phone number. Once money lands in the wallet, they can spend it in shops, pay bills, send it to friends and family, buy airtime and data, book transport, or pay online for e-commerce orders. They don't need a bank account, and they don't need to visit a branch to use the money.
Most Indonesians who use one wallet actually use two or three, because different wallets are wired into different services. That's why "which wallet" is a fair question to ask before you send.
Mama Money supports many of the widely-used Indonesian wallets. Four of them dominate everyday spending, and it's worth knowing what each is for.
GoPay
Gojek's wallet, deeply integrated
Built into the Gojek super-app. Used to pay for Gojek rides, GoFood deliveries, and many merchants across Indonesia. If your family uses Gojek regularly (which most urban Indonesians do), they almost certainly have GoPay.
Suits: family in cities who use ride-hailing, food delivery, and everyday urban services.
OVO
Broad acceptance, bank-friendly
One of Indonesia's biggest wallets, with wide merchant acceptance and easy bank linking. Historically integrated with Grab and Tokopedia in various ways. Popular for both online and offline spending.
Suits: family who split spending between online shopping and in-store purchases and want flexibility.
DANA
Everyday payments, all in one
A strong all-rounder wallet used for shopping, bill payments, transfers, and e-commerce. Backed by heavyweight investors and widely accepted across Indonesian merchants.
Suits: family who want one wallet that handles most things without being tied to a specific super-app.
ShopeePay
Shopee-native, e-commerce first
The wallet inside the Shopee e-commerce app. Used to pay for Shopee orders and, increasingly, at partner merchants outside the app too.
Suits: family who shop on Shopee regularly, or younger recipients whose main app is Shopee.
Beyond the big four, Mama Money supports several other wallets that suit specific family situations.
A quick comparison to help you match your family's habits to the right wallet.
| Wallet | Best known for | Typically used by |
|---|---|---|
| GoPay | Gojek rides, food delivery, urban services | Urban commuters, students, young professionals |
| OVO | Broad merchant acceptance, online and offline | Flexible everyday spenders |
| DANA | All-purpose payments and transfers | People who want one wallet for everything |
| ShopeePay | Shopee e-commerce orders | Regular Shopee shoppers |
| LinkAja | Bills and state-linked services | Bill-heavy households, government service users |
| AstraPay | Astra ecosystem services | Family in the Astra network |
| iMKAS | Sharia-compliant banking | Muslim family preferring halal finance |
You don't need to guess. Send your family these three quick questions on WhatsApp before your first transfer.
This gets you the primary wallet. Most Indonesians have a favourite they use for everyday spending. That's usually the one you want to send to.
Wallets are tied to a phone number. This is the number the money will land on. Get them to copy-paste it to you rather than retype it, so a digit doesn't get lost.
The name you enter in Mama Money must match the name on their wallet, or the transfer can be blocked. Get them to check inside their wallet app and confirm the full spelling.
A useful rule
If your family opens GoPay to book a Gojek every morning, that's their most-active wallet, and money there will be spent naturally. Sending to a wallet they open only occasionally means the money can sit unused for longer. Match the send to the habit.
The sending flow is the same for every wallet.
In the app
Same steps, every wallet
Open Mama Money, select Indonesia, choose "mobile wallet", pick the wallet your family uses, enter their name and mobile number, and see the rate and fee before you confirm.
After you send
Both of you get an SMS
Both you and your recipient get a reference number by SMS as soon as the transfer starts. Money usually lands in their wallet within minutes. Track it inside the app any time.
Whichever wallet your family uses, Mama Money gets the money there in minutes, at fair fees, with the rate shown upfront.