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538 digital payments per person: Malaysia's 2025 cashless data

538 digital payments per person: Malaysia's 2025 cashless data

Sep 8, 2026

4 min

Every Malaysian made an average of 538 digital payment transactions in 2025, up from 432 the year before. That is more than one digital payment per person per day. According to Bank Negara Malaysia's (BNM) Annual Report 2025, the country's total e-payment volume hit 18.4 billion transactions, a 25% jump from 14.7 billion in 2024. The shift is no longer emerging. Digital payments are now the default way Malaysians pay.

This article breaks down the key digital payments Malaysia statistics from 2025, covering DuitNow QR, mobile banking, contactless payments, cross-border QR, and e-money. If you accept payments from Malaysian customers, these numbers set the context for what they already expect at checkout.

The numbers at a glance

The headline figures from BNM's Annual Report 2025:

  • 18.4 billion total e-payment transactions, up 25% from 14.7 billion in 2024
  • 538 e-payments per capita, up from 432
  • MYR 831 billion in retail e-payment value, up 19% year on year
  • 17% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2022 to 2025, exceeding BNM's Financial Sector Blueprint target of 15%
  • 31.4 million cheque transactions, down 21% year on year

The per capita figure is worth pausing on. In 2019, Malaysians averaged 150 e-payments per person per year (BNM, DuitNow QR: Fostering Inclusive Digital Payments, AR 2023 Box 6). Six years later, that number is 538. The country did not just adopt digital payments; it made them routine.

DuitNow QR doubled in a year

DuitNow QR transactions hit 3 billion in 2025, doubling from 1.5 billion in 2024. By year end, there were nearly 3 million DuitNow QR merchant touchpoints across the country.

The growth is broad, not concentrated. As of 2023 (the latest year for this breakdown), approximately 80% of DuitNow QR merchants were small merchants registering monthly sales below MYR 5,000 (BNM, DuitNow QR: Fostering Inclusive Digital Payments, AR 2023 Box 6). The QR code acceptance network has expanded 6.3 times since 2019, when there were just 0.3 million registered codes (BNM, DuitNow QR: Fostering Inclusive Digital Payments, AR 2023 Box 6).

One reason for the rapid adoption: cost. DuitNow QR removes the need for point-of-sale (POS) terminal rental, and its Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) is competitive with or lower than that of MyDebit, the domestic debit card network. For small merchants, BNM notes that a preferential MDR is maintained at a low level, keeping the barrier to entry minimal.

DuitNow QR is an interoperable payment rail. A single QR code accepts payments from customers using different e-wallet and banking apps. That interoperability, operated by PayNet, is what makes the network effect possible. For a closer look at how QR interoperability works in Malaysia, see our guide to DuitNow QR interoperability. Billplz supports DuitNow QR as part of its payment methods, alongside FPX, Wallet, Card, and Instalments.

Mobile banking is now the main channel

Mobile banking accounted for 64% of all online banking activity in 2025. The number of active mobile banking users reached 25 million, an 8.7% increase year on year.

This is a structural shift, not a temporary spike. When nearly two thirds of banking interactions happen on a phone, the phone is the primary banking device. For organizations collecting payments, this means the payment experience on mobile is the payment experience, full stop.

Contactless card payments also grew, reaching 2 billion transactions in 2025, a 20.3% increase. Debit card transactions grew 20.5%, outpacing credit card growth of 10.9%. The pattern is consistent: everyday, smaller-value transactions are moving digital fastest.

Cross-border QR is taking off

Cross-border QR transactions surged 179% year on year. In the first half of 2025 alone, there were 11.8 million cross-border QR transactions worth MYR 967 million.

The infrastructure behind this is expanding. There are now 29 live instant payment connections across ASEAN. DuitNow is linked with Thailand's PromptPay and Indonesia's QRIS, meaning tourists from those countries can pay Malaysian merchants using their home banking and e-wallet apps, scanning the same DuitNow QR code.

For merchants in tourism, hospitality, and retail, this removes a real friction point. International visitors can pay without exchanging cash, without needing a local payment app, and without the fees associated with international card transactions.

Cross-border person-to-person transfers also grew 121% year on year, and e-remittance surged 70.1% to MYR 31.6 billion, reinforcing the broader trend of cross-border money movement going digital.

E-money is growing up

The average e-money transaction value rose to MYR 43.00 in 2025, up from MYR 33.00 the year before. That 30% increase in average transaction size signals a change in how consumers use e-wallets.

E-wallets started as a tool for small, everyday purchases. The rising transaction value suggests consumers now trust them for higher-value spending. For merchants, this means e-wallet acceptance is no longer just about capturing micro-transactions; it is relevant across a wider range of price points.

What this means for merchants

The data points to four practical takeaways.

Digital payments are the default. With 538 e-payments per capita, the question is no longer whether customers want to pay digitally. Not offering e-payment options is a friction point that costs transactions.

DuitNow QR levels the playing field. Small merchants can access the full pool of digital payment users without POS terminal costs. The interoperable QR code means one integration point covers multiple banks and e-wallets.

Cross-border QR expands the customer base. International tourists from Thailand and Indonesia can already pay at DuitNow QR-enabled merchants. As more ASEAN connections go live, the pool of foreign customers who can pay by QR grows.

The growth rate is sustained. A 17% CAGR from 2022 to 2025, exceeding BNM's own target, is not a one-year anomaly. The infrastructure investments, from DuitNow QR to cross-border linkages, are compounding.

Billplz is a certified PayNet system integrator, processing payments since 2012 for 60,000+ Malaysian organizations. To see which payment methods are available, visit the payment methods page.

FAQ

How many digital payments does the average Malaysian make per day?

Based on BNM's Annual Report 2025, the average Malaysian made 538 digital payment transactions in 2025. That works out to roughly 1.5 e-payments per person per day.

How many merchants accept DuitNow QR in Malaysia?

By the end of 2025, there were nearly 3 million DuitNow QR merchant touchpoints across Malaysia, according to BNM's Annual Report 2025. As of 2023, approximately 80% of those merchants were small merchants registering monthly sales below MYR 5,000 (BNM, DuitNow QR: Fostering Inclusive Digital Payments, AR 2023 Box 6).

Is DuitNow QR free for small merchants?

DuitNow QR is not free, but it is designed to be affordable. According to BNM, smaller merchants enjoy a preferential Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) that is maintained at a low level, and DuitNow QR's MDR is competitive with or lower than that of the domestic debit card, MyDebit. There is no POS terminal rental cost for merchants using static QR codes.