Selling Wi-Fi vouchers has become a common side business in many neighbourhoods, corner shops, boarding houses, small coffee stalls. The capital required is modest, and the equipment far more affordable than most people assume.
What's rarely discussed is precisely what determines success: how to set duration and price, and the obligations that come with it.
Why vouchers rather than a plain password
Sharing one password with customers creates two problems that will definitely occur:
- The password spreads. One customer tells a friend, and within a month the whole neighbourhood is using it for free. Changing it cuts off paying customers too, a problem discussed in the guide to blocking Wi-Fi users.
- There's no usage limit. One person with a big download makes every customer feel your network is bad.
Vouchers solve both at once. Each code has its own validity, expires by itself, and can be speed limited.
Three equipment options
| Option | Cost range | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Router with built-in hotspot | Rp 400k – 1.5m | Shops, small boarding houses |
| Router + separate controller | Rp 1.5m – 4m | Several access points |
| Subscription portal service | Rp 100k – 500k/month | Those who'd rather not handle the technical side |
For most small operations the first option is enough. A router with hotspot features can print thousands of codes, set durations, and limit speed without a computer running constantly.
Check the capacity first. Cheap equipment often lists a maximum user count far beyond its real capability. What matters isn't the number on the box but how many devices are active simultaneously at peak, how to estimate that is in the venue Wi-Fi capacity guide.
The setup sequence
Separate the voucher network from your own
The till, security cameras, and personal computers must not be on the same network as customers. This is the first step, not a refinement, the guide to separating a guest network.
Enable hotspot mode
Look for a menu called Hotspot, Captive Portal, or Voucher on your device. How the login page works is explained in the captive portal guide. If your need turns out to be simpler than this, just letting guests connect without typing a password, the guide to making a Wi-Fi QR code is far lighter and needs no special equipment.
Define duration and speed profiles
Create a few voucher types, say daily and weekly, each with its own speed limit. The speed limit matters more than people think, without it, one buyer can consume the capacity for everyone.
Print and test a few codes
Try them yourself before selling: confirm codes last the stated duration, stop on time, and can't be reused once expired.
Limit devices per voucher
One or two devices. Without this limit, one code can be shared widely and your revenue erodes invisibly.
Setting duration and price
An arrangement that works in many neighbourhoods:
| Type | Duration | Speed limit |
|---|---|---|
| Single use | 3 hours | 2 Mbps |
| Daily | 24 hours | 3 Mbps |
| Weekly | 7 days | 3 Mbps |
| Monthly | 30 days | 5 Mbps |
For pricing, work backwards from cost. If your subscription is Rp 500 thousand a month and you expect a hundred daily vouchers sold, cost per voucher is five thousand rupiah. Only a price above that gives margin.
Over-optimistic estimates are the most common mistake. Start by assuming half of what you hope for, and raise it once you have real numbers.
How much subscription you need
A rough rule: for general use, one 50 Mbps subscription can serve around twenty to thirty active users in rotation, with a speed limit per voucher.
Without per-voucher limits, that figure falls sharply, ten users is enough to make everyone complain. This is why speed limiting isn't an optional extra but a requirement.
What to know before you sell
There are two layers people often miss.
First, your own subscription terms. Almost every home plan prohibits resale. Breaching it gives the provider grounds to cut you off, and that cuts off all your customers at once.
Second, telecommunications rules. Selling internet access to others counts as service provision requiring a licence. Small scale rarely attracts attention, but the status is the same. Safer routes, including partnership schemes with licensed providers, are discussed in the RT RW net guide.
If you collect buyers' phone numbers or identity details through a portal, you also become a personal data controller with the obligations that follow, the Personal Data Protection Law guide. The simplest way to avoid that is to collect nothing beyond the voucher code.
Small things that make a difference
- Print codes that are easy to read. Avoid look-alike characters such as 0 and O, or 1 and l. This reduces "my code doesn't work" complaints.
- Post short instructions at the point of sale: network name, how to connect, and what to do if the login page doesn't appear.
- Provide battery backup for network equipment. A power cut means customers lose the remaining time they've paid for, the guide to a UPS for your router.
- Record daily sales. Without records, you won't know whether the business is profitable or quietly losing money.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest equipment to start selling vouchers?
A router with a built-in hotspot feature, starting around Rp 400 thousand. It can already print voucher codes, set durations, and limit speed with no computer or extra subscription needed.
What's a reasonable voucher price?
Work from your monthly subscription cost divided by expected vouchers sold, then add margin. In many areas, daily vouchers sit between two and five thousand rupiah, and weekly ones between ten and twenty thousand.
Can one voucher be used on several devices?
It can be configured, and should be limited to one or two devices per voucher. Without a limit, one buyer can share the code widely, and your revenue erodes without you noticing.
Does selling Wi-Fi vouchers require a licence?
Selling internet access to others falls under telecommunications service provision, which requires a licence. Scale determines how much attention this needs, and the safer route is to become a partner of a licensed provider.
