More than a year after it was established, the partnership between digital payment and financial technology provider Ant International and Payments Network Malaysia ( PayNet ) has continued to gain strength, bringing economic opportunities to small and medium enterprises ( SMEs ) in Malaysia.

Alipay+, the cross-border mobile wallet under Ant International, now makes up more than 80% of cross-border inbound QR payments in the country via the local app DuitNow. During the peak travel season in December 2024, the partnership enabled 6x growth in revenue for Malaysian merchants, compared with the same period in 2023.

The e-wallet went live on DuitNow in October 2023, enabling Malaysian SMEs to accept QR payments from international travellers. Today, the number of Alipay+ payment partners that can make payments via DuitNow has more than doubled to 15 international apps, bringing even more customers to the country’s SMEs.

Alipay+ partners enabled for use in Malaysia are: Alipay ( mainland China ), AlipayHK ( Hong Kong ), MPay ( Macau ), TrueMoney and KBank ( Thailand ), Changi Pay ( Singapore ), Hipay ( Mongolia ), HelloMoney and GCash ( The Philippines ), Tinaba ( Italy ), Kaspi ( Kazakhstan ), BigPay ( Singapore, Thailand ), and Kakao Pay, Naver Pay, and Toss ( South Korea ).

“As Malaysia’s national payments network, PayNet is committed to building an open and seamless payment ecosystem that enables businesses to thrive,” says PayNet chief marketing officer Gary Yeoh. “Our partnership with Ant International has significantly enhanced cross-border payment acceptance for local merchants, helping them tap into a growing wave of global travellers. With Alipay+ as a key driver, DuitNow QR is empowering SMEs to compete on an international scale, reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a premier travel and shopping destination.”

Travellers from 10 countries and regions can now pay using their home payment app at more than 2.5 million DuitNow QR touchpoints in Malaysia. In 2024, the number of Alipay+ transactions on DuitNow QR on average increased by 50%, making Alipay+ the biggest contributor to cross-border inbound QR payments in the country.

Malaysia welcomed more than 25 million visitors in 2024, and aims to increase this to 35.6 million under the Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.

“We have always believed in the power of travel, for connectivity, cultural exchange and as an economic driver,” says Edward Yue, general manager for Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand at Ant International. “With Alipay+, we offer local businesses a gateway to global customers, driving more inclusive growth in local communities."