Wise has taken a meaningful step deeper into Malaysia’s payment system. The international money platform now connects directly to Payments Network Malaysia, better known as PayNet, giving it access to DuitNow, the country’s national real-time payments ecosystem.

For Wise customers, the most visible change is straightforward: they can open the Wise app, scan a DuitNow QR code and pay a Malaysian merchant without switching to a local banking app or separate e-wallet. Wise is also adding DuitNow Transfer support, allowing eligible users to send Malaysian ringgit using a recipient’s mobile number or National Registration Identity Card number rather than manually entering bank details.

It sounds like a small product update. In practice, it moves Wise closer to becoming an everyday payment tool in Malaysia rather than something users open mainly when exchanging currencies or sending money abroad.

Wise goes local

Malaysia is the ninth market where Wise has secured direct access to a domestic payment system and the fifth in Asia-Pacific, following connections in markets including Singapore, Australia, the Philippines and Japan. Wise says these direct links reduce reliance on traditional intermediaries and help improve both transfer speed and cost over time. The company currently processes 77% of its transfers within 20 seconds, twice the proportion recorded five years ago.

Direct access matters because international payment companies often sit on top of several banking partners and correspondent relationships. Every additional layer can introduce delays, operational complexity and extra cost. Connecting to the local infrastructure does not automatically make every payment cheaper, but it gives Wise more control over how Malaysian ringgit moves through its network.

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There is also a business-facing element. Banks and financial institutions using Wise Platform will be able to access real-time recipient verification through the Wise API when setting up MYR transfers. Showing the recipient’s name before money is sent sounds basic, yet it is one of those quiet features that can prevent expensive mistakes and reduce support requests.

A QR market worth joining

DuitNow QR is not a niche payment option. Bank Negara Malaysia reported that transaction volume doubled from 1.5 billion in 2024 to three billion in 2025. PayNet says Malaysia now has more than three million registered DuitNow QR touchpoints, including a large number of small and medium-sized businesses.

That scale changes the value of Wise’s integration. A traveller may encounter DuitNow QR at a food stall, café or independent shop where card acceptance is less convenient or unavailable. A foreign resident may need to reimburse a colleague or pay a local service provider. Previously, those situations could require cash, a Malaysian bank account or another wallet. Wise can now cover more of them from an app many international users already have.

The feature is being introduced progressively, however, and Wise says support will expand to all DuitNow QR codes nationwide over the coming weeks. Early users should therefore expect some unevenness during the rollout rather than assuming every QR code will work immediately.

“Connecting directly to the local payment system and offering access to DuitNow QR is one example of how Wise is making moving money simpler. We want to take the friction out of the everyday transactions in Malaysia, bringing greater ease and convenience to consumers,”

said Yen Ting Chiam, Country Manager for Wise Malaysia.

Not the first cross-border route

Wise is entering an ecosystem that already has strong local and international participants. Malaysian bank apps and wallets such as Touch ’n Go eWallet, GrabPay and BigPay are part of the broader DuitNow environment, while Alipay+ has become a major channel for foreign visitors.

According to PayNet, Alipay+ accounted for more than 80% of inbound cross-border QR payments through DuitNow in 2024. Its network connected 15 international payment apps to Malaysian merchants and helped users pay through familiar home-market wallets.

Wise’s advantage is slightly different. It combines multi-currency balances, international transfers, local MYR payments and now QR acceptance in one account. That may be particularly useful for expatriates, digital nomads, frequent travellers and businesses already using Wise across several markets.

READ MORE: Singapore and Malaysia launch cross-border QR code payments system

It will be less compelling for Malaysians who already receive rewards, credit features or deeper local services from their main bank or e-wallet. Tourists whose home wallet already works through Alipay+ may also see little reason to change. A contactless card remains simpler at many larger merchants.

What Wise could improve is rollout visibility. Users need a clear indication of which QR codes are currently supported, what exchange rate applies and whether any fee is included before confirming the payment. The technology may be impressive underneath, but the customer experience will be judged at the counter, usually with someone waiting behind.

Conclusion

Wise’s PayNet connection reflects a wider shift in global fintech. International money apps are no longer competing only on transfer fees or exchange-rate markups. They are trying to plug directly into national payment rails and behave more like local financial apps wherever their customers travel or live.

Malaysia is a particularly important test because DuitNow QR is already deeply embedded in everyday commerce and increasingly connected to payment systems across Asia. Wise is not displacing local wallets, banks or Alipay+; it is adding another bridge into that infrastructure.

The real strategic value is continuity. A user can hold money internationally, arrive in Malaysia and start interacting with the domestic payment economy without rebuilding their financial setup from scratch. That is where cross-border fintech is heading: not one universal payment system, but global apps connecting intelligently to strong local ones.