Indonesia has its own unique ride-hailing app, Gojek. As someone who travels frequently in Southeast Asian countries, I primarily use Grab, which is available in many nations. I have also used other apps like Uber in countries where Grab wasn’t available.
On my recent visit to Indonesia, I installed the Gojek app to use their QR payment service, GoPay. Since I had already downloaded Indonesia’s native ride-hailing app, I decided to try it out to see how it compares to Grab.
Installing the Gojek Ride-Hailing App
The process for installing the Gojek app has been explained in a previous article about setting up GoPay. A key point is that it’s designed for short-term foreign travelers to be able to register. You can also register a credit card as a payment method in addition to GoPay, allowing you to use the service without cash during your rides.
How to Use Gojek for Ride-Hailing
How to Call a Car
Once you launch the app, the home screen will appear. Select the type of vehicle you want (motorcycle or four-wheeled car). For this example, I’ll choose a motorcycle. Let’s try setting a trip from Medan Station to a shopping mall.
When you start typing part of the destination or pickup point’s name, suggestions will appear. Selecting from these suggestions will ensure greater accuracy. If no suggestions appear, choose a nearby location or select “Choose on Map” and move the pin to set your location.
Once the settings are complete, available motorcycle types will appear. Since prices vary, select your preferred option from this list. Next, the app will start matching you with a nearby driver. Once a match is found, the driver’s name, vehicle number, current location, and estimated arrival time will be displayed.
How to Board
Wait for the driver to arrive. Confirm the vehicle’s license plate number and your destination to ensure it’s the right vehicle you called before boarding. When taking a motorcycle taxi, always wear the helmet provided.
Upon arriving at your destination, simply say thank you and get off without paying. It’s best to avoid cash transactions if possible to prevent any potential issues.
Rating and Tipping After the Ride
After the trip is completed, you’ll receive an in-app message asking you to rate the driver and decide whether to give a tip. Evaluate your satisfaction with the ride and the driver, then select an appropriate tip amount based on the fare and your satisfaction. That completes the process.
Comparison with Grab
I’ve explained how to use Gojek. Honestly, its usage doesn’t differ from Grab. Based on my comparisons, the prices were also the same. My personal opinion is that if you rarely visit Indonesia or don’t intend to use GoPay for QR payments, there’s no particular need to install Gojek.
Conclusion
This time, I explained how to use Gojek, but Grab works perfectly fine too. The main takeaway is this: always remember never to get into an unauthorized taxi (a “wild taxi”) when traveling in Southeast Asia. Even with the widespread adoption of ride-hailing apps today, travelers still report being overcharged or scammed by these unregulated taxis. Equip yourself with the knowledge and tools to protect yourself. The best strategy is to avoid dangerous situations altogether.
