1st July 2026 - 4 min read
Bank Negara Malaysia has ruled that banks and e-wallets must stop running their own private QR payment networks within two years. By 30 June 2028, they all need to move onto the shared DuitNow QR system instead. The rule was issued on 30 June 2026 under a new policy called the Interoperable Fund Transfer Framework.
“Interoperable” here means one QR code works with any app. Once the switch is done, the QR code you see at a shop counter should accept payment from whichever banking app or e-wallet you use. There is a small exception for payment processors with special agreements involving e-wallet providers outside the shared network. This affects very few transactions. The new framework replaces the older 2019 Interoperable Credit Transfer Framework.
Most merchants already display a DuitNow QR code that works across different apps. But some still use their own private QR codes that only accept one particular app. If you do not have that app, you cannot pay. Under the new rule, banks and e-wallet providers can no longer run these separate QR networks. They also cannot sign up new merchants to any private QR system during the two-year changeover, so you should see fewer of these closed QR codes as time goes on.
Once the changeover is done, you should be able to walk up to any merchant that accepts QR payments, open whichever app you like, scan the code, and pay. You will no longer need to check which wallet a stall accepts before joining the queue.
The changeover runs over two years. Banks and e-wallets have until 30 June 2028 to finish updating their systems and move their merchants onto the shared network. That network is called the Real-time Retail Payments Platform (RPP), and it is run by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet).
During this time, you will likely see fewer private QR codes at checkout counters as merchants are moved to DuitNow QR. If you already pay with DuitNow QR through apps like Touch ‘n Go eWallet or MAE by Maybank, nothing changes for you.
According to the feedback statement that came with the framework, banks and e-wallets can still run their own rewards programmes and cashback offers within the shared network. Apps like Touch ‘n Go eWallet and GrabPay will keep their own features and rewards as before. The apps continue to work as they do now, with the QR network behind them moving onto the shared system.
How rewards apply may depend on which DuitNow QR you scan. Some e-wallets currently only award loyalty points or cashback when you scan their own branded DuitNow QR code, not another provider’s. Check your app’s rewards terms if this is important to you.
The framework also keeps the existing rule that DuitNow Transfer transactions of up to RM5,000 are free, whether you are the sender or the person receiving the money. The free transfer rule already existed before this framework, and the framework simply keeps it in place. This applies to transfers from bank and e-wallet accounts.
Separately, your bank or e-wallet must now send you an instant notification every time money goes in or out of your account. You can ask to turn these alerts off, but your provider must first warn you about the risks, especially around fraud. These alerts can help you spot payments you did not make the moment they happen.
On cross-border payments, the framework says banks must eventually let you use QR codes to pay overseas through the shared network. But this depends on when a separate international project called Nexus launches, and BNM has not set a date for that yet. Some cross-border QR payment links already exist with countries like Singapore and China, and these will keep developing separately.
The switch happens on the bank and e-wallet side. You do not need to download a new app or sign up again. Over the next two years, expect fewer moments where a merchant’s QR code does not work with your app.
If you run a small business or food stall, your bank or payment provider should contact you about migrating your QR code to the shared network. The migration is handled on their side.
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As a creative content writer, Eloise has covered finance, business, lifestyle topics, and even moonlights as a singer-songwriter outside of RinggitPlus. Her current interests are learning the best ways to optimise spending and credit card hacks to gain more airline miles.
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