DuitNow QR Opens Payments in Five Overseas Markets Through Alipay+

Five more destinations for payments from Malaysian banking apps

Malaysians travelling to China, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, the Philippines and Laos can now use DuitNow QR at participating Alipay+ merchants, following a service launch by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) on 28 October 2026. Maybank, CIMB and Hong Leong Bank are the first banks supporting the connection.

The expansion lets customers pay through the DuitNow QR function in their existing banking app. They scan a merchant's QR code displaying the Alipay+ logo, review the transaction and confirm it without downloading another app or creating an Alipay+ account.

Bank Islam is expected to join, although PayNet has given no confirmed joining date. The capability is also open to other banks and electronic wallets participating in PayNet, with further apps and overseas markets planned.

The launch follows a sharp rise in international payments through Malaysia's national payments network. PayNet recorded nearly 30 million transactions across borders in 2025, approximately 150 percent more than in 2024, with transactions linked to China accounting for much of the growth.

For travellers, the immediate change is practical: customers of the three participating banks have another way to pay at eligible shops in five destinations. For PayNet, the launch extends a partnership that has allowed visitors using supported Alipay+ partner wallets to pay Malaysian merchants since November 2023.

How a payment works at the checkout

A customer begins by opening the DuitNow QR payment function in a supported Malaysian banking app. At a participating merchant in one of the five destinations, the customer scans the QR code displaying the Alipay+ logo, then checks and confirms the payment inside the same app.

Alipay+ is Ant International's gateway connecting payment providers and merchants. In simple terms, it helps a banking app used in Malaysia communicate with a merchant's payment service abroad. The customer continues using a familiar app while the networks handle the connection between them.

Merchant participation and bank support determine where the new service can be used. The launch covers participating Alipay+ merchants in the five named destinations, so travellers should look for the relevant logo and use an app from a bank supporting the service.

PayNet describes the wider DuitNow service for payments abroad as requiring no additional registration. For this new connection, customers also avoid the separate step of opening an Alipay+ account, keeping the payment process within their Malaysian banking relationship.

What customers see before confirming

PayNet's consumer payment guide says users can see the full amount in Malaysian ringgit before paying. Payments are deducted in the user's home currency, and transactions are processed instantly.

A purchase priced in a foreign currency therefore has a ringgit amount for the customer to review before approving it. That display gives travellers a direct way to judge how much a meal, item or service will take from their Malaysian account.

PayNet also says its service for payments across borders is free for consumers and that transactions are encrypted. Encryption protects payment information by turning it into coded data during transmission. Customers still review the transaction details in their app before confirming the purchase.

The consumer guide lists Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia among supported destinations. The five markets added through Alipay+ extend the overseas payment options available through participating Malaysian institutions.

A partnership developed over three years

PayNet and Ant International began with a connection serving visitors to Malaysia, then agreed to expand the relationship before launching the new service for Malaysians travelling abroad. Their development followed several distinct steps:

• August 2023: PayNet and Ant International signed their initial memorandum of understanding.
• November 2023: Travellers using supported Alipay+ partner wallets could begin paying at DuitNow QR merchants in Malaysia.
• 21 August 2025: The partners signed an expanded agreement at MyFintech Week 2025, with payments abroad among its priorities.
• 28 October 2026: PayNet launched the Alipay+ connection for Malaysian banking customers in five overseas destinations.

PayNet's August 2025 announcement said the expanded memorandum was signed in the presence of Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Dato' Sri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour. At that stage, access for Malaysians travelling abroad was described as launching soon.

The 2026 launch puts that part of the agreement into use through three banks and five destinations. It also adds a second direction to the partnership: visitors can use supported foreign wallets in Malaysia, while eligible Malaysian customers can use their banking apps overseas.

Existing regional connections remain part of the network

DuitNow already connects with domestic payment schemes in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia. Those connections let supported Malaysian banking or wallet apps interact with payment systems used by merchants in neighbouring markets.

The Alipay+ launch adds a route through an international gateway. Both arrangements serve a similar purpose for the customer: making a payment abroad through an app from home. Behind the checkout screen, different payment networks work together to pass along and process the transaction.

PayNet chief executive officer Praveen Rajan said the expansion supports Bank Negara Malaysia's vision for faster, more efficient and inclusive payments across borders. He described the intended experience for travellers:

Cross-border payments should feel as familiar as paying at home. This connectivity gives Malaysians an easier way to pay abroad. It also shows how collaboration between financial institutions and global payment partners expands the reach of Malaysia's national payment infrastructure beyond our borders.

For participating banks, the launch extends the places where their customers can use an existing payment function. Access will broaden as more eligible institutions adopt the capability.

Nearly 30 million transactions show rising use

PayNet's nearly 30 million transactions across borders in 2025 represented growth of approximately 150 percent from the previous year. A rise of 150 percent means the total became about two and a half times its earlier size.

Using those rounded figures, the 2024 total works out to roughly 12 million transactions. That suggests an increase of about 18 million transactions in one year, showing the scale of the change in how frequently the network handled international payments.

Transactions linked to China accounted for much of the growth, according to PayNet. China is also among the five destinations covered by the new Alipay+ connection, placing it within both the network's recent growth story and its latest expansion.

The new service builds on that existing activity by giving customers of participating Malaysian banks another way to make purchases abroad. PayNet plans to continue working with financial institutions and regional partners to extend access through more apps and markets.

How the global network compares with the launch

Alipay+ connects more than two billion user accounts through over 50 international payment partners. Its wider network reaches more than 150 million merchants across more than 210 markets and includes more than 10 national payment schemes, including PayNet.

The August 2025 agreement described Alipay+ as having a global merchant ecosystem of 100 million. The figure given with the 2026 launch is more than 150 million, showing a larger merchant network as the partners bring the Malaysian outbound service into operation.

Malaysian customers gain access through the destinations, merchants and banking apps enabled for this launch. Further expansion depends on PayNet and its partners adding support across the wider network.

Danny Chung, general manager of Alipay+ Global Growth Center at Ant International, described what the partnership means for Malaysia's payments infrastructure:

Our growing partnership with PayNet reflects a shared commitment to taking Malaysia's national payment infrastructure beyond its borders, connecting it more deeply with the global digital economy,

Malaysian merchants benefit from the other direction

Visitors to Malaysia have been able to use supported Alipay+ partner wallets at DuitNow QR merchants since November 2023. By August 2025, PayNet said users of 15 international payment partners could pay at more than 2.6 million DuitNow QR merchants across the country.

That connection gives Malaysian businesses access to spending from international visitors who prefer to use their usual payment apps. Small and medium enterprises can accept eligible tourist payments through the national QR system they already use.

The 2025 agreement linked the partnership to Malaysia's target of 45 million tourists ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026. PayNet and Ant International planned global tourism campaigns intended to bring more visitor spending to local businesses. The continuing payment partnership also supports tourism activity during Visit Malaysia 2026-2027.

The two directions serve different groups. The existing connection helps foreign visitors pay Malaysian merchants; the new connection helps eligible Malaysian customers pay merchants abroad. Together, they extend the usefulness of the payment systems on both sides of a journey.

Fraud prevention is part of the wider agreement

PayNet and Ant International's August 2025 agreement also covered security work, including advanced technology, sharing information about threats and audits of fraud risks. The partners said this cooperation would use Ant International's defence technologies powered by artificial intelligence.

Sharing threat intelligence means exchanging information about suspicious activity so payment providers can recognise risks. Fraud risk audits examine where payment processes may be vulnerable. These measures form part of the partners' broader work as payments move between institutions and markets.

The agreement also included PayHack, a university hackathon giving students opportunities to develop ideas and receive mentoring, alongside training through Ant International's Digital Business Centre in Kuala Lumpur and the 10x1000 Tech for Inclusion initiative.

Other planned work covered access to technology, participation by small businesses, and sustainability and social impact initiatives. The checkout service is the most visible change for travellers, while the wider partnership also addresses the people, security systems and business access needed to support it.

Key Points

• DuitNow QR payments through Alipay+ launched in China, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, the Philippines and Laos on 28 October 2026.
• Maybank, CIMB and Hong Leong Bank support the launch. Bank Islam is expected to join, with no confirmed date.
• Customers scan a participating merchant's QR code displaying the Alipay+ logo and confirm payment inside their supported banking app.
• No separate Alipay+ account or additional app is required.
• PayNet recorded nearly 30 million transactions across borders in 2025, approximately 150 percent more than in 2024.
• The partnership has supported payments by visitors at Malaysian DuitNow QR merchants since November 2023.
• PayNet plans to extend the outbound service to more apps and overseas markets.