WeChat Pay customers from China can now scan DuitNow QR codes at Malaysian shops, restaurants, and transport services, and pay directly through their own app. The update, announced on 22 April 2026, means Chinese visitors no longer need to download a local e-wallet or exchange cash to spend in Malaysia.

The integration works through Malaysia’s existing DuitNow QR system, which is already accepted by the vast majority of local banks and e-wallets. If your business displays a DuitNow QR code, it can now accept payments from WeChat Pay customers automatically. There is no separate merchant sign-up required.

Malaysia is one of five countries included in the rollout. The others are Thailand (via PromptPay), Singapore (via SGQR+), South Korea (via ZeroPay), and Sri Lanka (via LANKAQR). In each case, WeChat Pay connects to the country’s national payment system rather than signing up merchants one by one.

How It Works for Malaysian Businesses

For merchants, nothing changes. DuitNow QR codes stay the same. When a WeChat Pay customer scans it, the payment is processed through PayNet’s infrastructure and settled at real-time exchange rates. The Chinese customer pays in renminbi through their WeChat app, and merchants receive ringgit as usual.

This builds on the groundwork that has been developing since late 2025. CIMB partnered with Weixin Pay (WeChat Pay’s official name within China) in December 2025 to help Malaysian merchants accept cross-border payments through DuitNow QR. Tourism Malaysia also formalised a collaboration with Weixin Pay in January 2026 to support Visit Malaysia 2026.

During peak travel periods in October 2025, WeChat Pay transactions processed through PayNet more than tripled in both volume and value compared to the previous year.

A Growing Number of Chinese Visitors Are Already Here

The timing’s important because Chinese tourist numbers to Malaysia have been climbing sharply. China contributed about 3 million tourists to Malaysia in 2024, making it the country’s third-largest source of visitors after Singapore and Indonesia. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, 1.12 million Chinese tourists arrived, a 22% increase year-on-year.

The Malaysian government is targeting 7 million Chinese tourists annually by 2026 under the Visit Malaysia campaign, supported by a mutual visa-free arrangement that runs until the end of 2026. Chinese visitors tend to stay longer and spend more per trip than the average tourist, according to Hong Leong Investment Bank.

If you run a shop or restaurant in a tourist-heavy area, Chinese visitors are increasingly likely to reach for WeChat Pay first. The DuitNow QR integration means they can pay you directly instead of looking for a money changer.

What This Does Not Change for You as a Consumer

If you’re a Malaysian using DuitNow QR to pay at local shops, nothing about your experience changes. The integration is one-directional for now. It allows Chinese visitors to scan Malaysian QR codes, but it does not give Malaysian customers the ability to pay with DuitNow QR in China.

For Malaysians travelling to China, there is a separate arrangement. China has allowed overseas bank cards to be linked to Alipay or WeChat Pay for domestic spending, and more than 10 million inbound tourists used those services in 2025.

The Bigger Shift Behind the QR Code

Several Southeast Asian countries have already started linking their QR payment systems across borders. Thailand’s PromptPay connects with Singapore’s PayNow, and PayNet signed an MoU to let Malaysians use DuitNow QR at over 100 million Alipay+ merchants overseas.

The WeChat Pay rollout adds scale to that trend. WeChat has over a billion customers, and China’s outbound travel numbers have been recovering fast. Border authorities in China recorded 185 million cross-border trips in the first three months of 2026 alone, up 13.5% year-on-year.

The great news for  Malaysian merchants if you already accept DuitNow QR, you do not need to do anything new to start receiving payments from this growing group of visitors.

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