Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian mobile banking customers can now make DuitNow QR payments at participating Alipay+-supported merchants in China, Hong Kong SAR, South Korea, the Philippines and Laos, Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) announced on 28 October 2026.
The outbound service runs through Alipay+, the unified wallet gateway of Ant International. Maybank, CIMB, and Hong Leong Bank are the first three participating banks, while Bank Islam is set to join soon.
At participating merchants, customers open the DuitNow QR payment function in their Malaysian banking app and scan the merchant’s QR code displaying the Alipay+ logo. They then review and confirm the transaction within the same application, without downloading another app or creating an Alipay+ account.
PayNet said the launch forms part of its long-term roadmap to extend secure and interoperable payment connectivity beyond Malaysia. It also aligns with Bank Negara Malaysia’s vision for faster, more efficient and inclusive cross-border payments.
Commenting on the launch, Praveen Rajan, Chief Executive Officer of PayNet, said, “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. More broadly, stronger payment connectivity can help spending flow more easily across borders and strengthen Malaysia’s economic links with the region,”
The new service builds on an existing arrangement between PayNet and Ant International. Since November 2023, travellers using supported Alipay+ partner wallets have been able to pay at DuitNow QR merchants across Malaysia.
According to PayNet, this has allowed local businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, to tap into international visitor spending through DuitNow QR, Malaysia’s national QR standard. The company added that the arrangement supports the country’s tourism economy during Visit Malaysia 2026-2027.
The outbound capability extends that connectivity in the other direction, allowing customers of participating Malaysian banks to pay at Alipay+ merchants abroad. PayNet said the five destinations are the first to be supported, with more to follow progressively, and describes itself as among the first national payment systems to expand global acceptance at scale through Alipay+.
On the network’s scale, the companies said the Alipay+ ecosystem connects more than two billion user accounts across over 50 international payment partners. It also reaches more than 150 million merchants in over 210 markets, including more than 10 national payment schemes such as PayNet.
Danny Chung, General Manager of Alipay+ Global Growth Center, Ant International, said, “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.”
“At Alipay+, we empower national payment systems to strengthen two-way interoperable connectivity, so they can play a much greater role in enabling cross-border travel and commerce, expanding opportunities for businesses and consumers, and driving more inclusive digital economic growth,” Chung added.
The expansion comes amid rising cross-border payment activity. PayNet recorded nearly 30 million cross-border transactions in 2025, approximately 150% more than in 2024, with transactions linked to China accounting for much of the growth.
Meanwhile, other PayNet-participating banks and e-wallets can adopt the Alipay+ outbound QR capability, which would let more customers make overseas QR payments through their existing apps. PayNet said it will continue working with financial institutions and regional partners to expand the service to more apps and markets.
