Malaysia – Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has integrated Alipay+ into its HLB Connect app through Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), extending the cross-border QR payment options available to its customers. The bank says the addition forms one of Malaysia’s most extensive overseas QR payment networks.
This is in connection with PayNet’s recent announcement that Malaysian banking app users can now make DuitNow QR payments abroad through its partnership with Alipay+. Hong Leong Bank is one of the first banks to go live on the service, bringing the capability to HLB Connect users.
Alipay+ payments are instant and are drawn directly from the customer’s Malaysian ringgit (MYR) banking account, according to HLB. The service builds on PayNet’s existing bilateral links to national QR networks across ASEAN, including NETS in Singapore, PromptPay in Thailand, QRIS in Indonesia and Bakong in Cambodia.
HLB already offers connectivity with UnionPay International (UPI) and Weixin Pay. The bank says these provide access to more than 120 million QR-enabled merchants across China, Hong Kong, Macao and Thailand.
Customers can make cross-border QR payments within the app, without downloading extra payment apps or topping up separate e-wallets. Depending on the network and participating merchant, they can either scan a merchant’s QR code or present their HLB QR Pay code for the merchant to scan.
Beyond QR payments, HLB says customers can pay abroad by linking eligible HLB cards to Chinese superapps such as Weixin Pay. They can also tap to pay through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
Kevin Lam, HLB’s Group Managing Director and CEO, said, “When customers travel, they want to know they can pay easily and with confidence. Bringing these networks together gives them more places to pay through HLB Connect, alongside the cards and other payment options they already use. Our cross-border partners help us make this possible by connecting our customers to the continuously expanding payment networks that merchants use in their markets and countries.”
“For over 120 years, helping people move money across borders has been part of HLB’s story, supporting families, businesses and opportunities abroad. That role depends on the trust our customers place in us. As payment technology evolves, we will keep working to earn that trust by making it easier for customers to manage and use their money wherever their travels take them,” he added.
