How does DuitNow work in Singapore [2026]

Key takeaways

• DuitNow is Malaysia’s real-time payment service, operated by PayNet
• PayNow-DuitNow transfers are capped at S$1,000 a day, with the exchange rate shown upfront
• Singapore merchants accepting NETS QR can take payments from Malaysian banking and e-wallet apps
• DuitNow only links a Singapore business to Malaysia, not to other markets
• The World Account by WorldFirst is a multi-currency account for international payments beyond Malaysia

Malaysia was Singapore’s third-largest visitor market in 2025, with 1.3 million arrivals. Over the same year, PayNet’s cross-border QR transactions grew 2.5 times to 29.7 million.

For Singapore businesses, those visitors are the main reason DuitNow matters. Since 2023, DuitNow has been linked to Singapore’s own systems, so it now sits alongside the digital payment methods your business may accept. Its reach, though, stops at Malaysia.

What is DuitNow?

DuitNow is Malaysia’s national real-time payment service, operated by PayNet (Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd). It went live in December 2018.¹  DuitNow services run on PayNet’s Real-time Retail Payments Platform (RPP), the system that connects participating Malaysian banks and e-wallets.²

PayNet runs three DuitNow services:

• DuitNow Transfer: Sends money using a mobile number or DuitNow ID instead of an account number³
• DuitNow QR: Lets customers pay, send or receive money by scanning a QR code³
• DuitNow Request: Lets merchants and billers send payment requests to a customer’s online or mobile banking inbox for review⁴

DuitNow is Malaysia’s version of PayNow, which does the same job for S$ in Singapore.

How does DuitNow work?

DuitNow works like a directory over Malaysian bank accounts. Each DuitNow ID points to one account, and PayNet’s RPP carries the payment between the sender’s and recipient’s banks.^1,2

The recipient registers an ID once in their banking app and picks the account it pays into. It can be a mobile number, passport number, business registration number or MyKad number (the Malaysian NRIC, or National Registration Identity Card).¹

The sender doesn’t register anything; they enter that ID in their app’s transfer menu and confirm, and the money usually arrives instantly, 24 hours a day.¹  DuitNow QR works the same way, with the payer scanning a code instead of typing an ID.³

Two linkages connect DuitNow to Singapore:

• QR payments: The NETS (Network for Electronic Transfers) QR and DuitNow QR linkage, launched by MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) and Bank Negara Malaysia on 31 March 2023
• Fund transfers: The PayNow-DuitNow linkage for person-to-person transfers, launched on 17 November 2023

For transfers, the sending bank sets the exchange rate and shows it before you confirm. The cap is S$1,000 a day from Singapore, or ~RM3,000 from Malaysia.

How to use DuitNow to send and receive money

From Singapore, you use PayNow and DuitNow picks up the payment in Malaysia.

For Singapore residents sending to Malaysia

1. Open PayNow in your banking app and choose the DuitNow Malaysia option
2. Enter the recipient’s DuitNow-registered mobile number, including +60
3. Check the name shown and enter the S$ amount
4. Review the exchange rate and ringgit amount, then approve

For Singapore residents receiving from Malaysia

If your mobile number is registered for PayNow with a participating bank, there’s nothing else to set up. The Malaysian sender enters that number, and the money lands in your linked account.

Limits vary by bank. Most Singapore banks set daily and per-transaction caps on these cross-border transfers, so check yours before agreeing to payment terms in Malaysia.

How to accept a payment via DuitNow QR

You don’t display a separate DuitNow code. The linkage runs through NETS QR, found on NETS terminals and many SGQR labels (SGQR is Singapore’s single QR code combining several payment schemes). Malaysian customers pay from their Malaysian account at the exchange rate their app offers.⁷

1. Check your setup: Look for the NETS QR logo on your SGQR label or terminal. If it’s missing, ask your payment acquirer (the company processing your QR payments) to add it
2. Display the code: Show the SGQR label at the counter, or a dynamic QR for the exact bill
3. Let the customer scan: They use a participating Malaysian banking or e-wallet app
4. Wait for approval: The app shows the ringgit equivalent before the customer confirms
5. Verify the payment: Check your terminal or merchant app before handing over goods

A hawker stall already showing NETS QR on its SGQR label can take these payments without changing anything.

Does DuitNow support accepting international payments?

For a Singapore business, only from Malaysia. Malaysians can use DuitNow QR in a few other countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, but those links don’t reach a Singapore account.⁷

You can’t receive DuitNow payments from customers outside Malaysia, and the PayNow-DuitNow link covers no third country.

Customers elsewhere pay through other routes: payment gateways for card and wallet checkout, and multi-currency accounts for marketplace payouts and invoices in foreign currencies.

The World Account lets Singapore businesses send, hold and receive multiple currency funds

PayNow and DuitNow cover one corridor: SGD and ringgit moving between Singapore and Malaysia. Sell to customers in the US, UK or Australia, or on overseas marketplaces, and payments arrive in other currencies that neither system handles.

The World Account by WorldFirst, an international payments provider, is a multi-currency account for these payments. It works alongside the business bank accounts you use for SGD and gives you local receiving details in 20+ currencies, so overseas customers and marketplaces pay you in their own currency.

• Local currency accounts: Receive funds in 20+ currencies, including USD, GBP, EUR and AUD
• Multi-currency balances: Hold foreign currency instead of converting it to SGD on arrival
• International payments: Send funds in 100+ currencies to 200+ countries and regions, including when you need to transfer money to Malaysia bank account holders above PayNow-DuitNow limits
• World Card: Spend balances with a Mastercard-powered multi-currency card, with up to 25 cards per business (up to 10 physical), 0% FX fees on all foreign transactions and 1.2% monthly cashback on eligible spending, with no cap
• Marketplace payouts: Collect payouts from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Shopify and Etsy
• Forward contracts: Lock in an exchange rate for up to two years for a planned foreign-currency payment

Pricing: Account opening, monthly fees, receiving payments and local SGD transfers are zero, and currency conversion costs up to 0.6% for major currencies.

*Fees checked in October 2026

FAQs

1. Does DuitNow work in Singapore?

Yes, through the PayNow-DuitNow linkage launched in November 2023. You can send up to S$1,000 a day to a DuitNow-registered Malaysian mobile number and receive money on your PayNow number. Limits depend on your bank.

2. What is DuitNow QR?

DuitNow QR is Malaysia’s standard payment QR code.³ Its linkage with NETS QR lets Malaysian customers pay Singapore merchants that accept NETS QR, including on SGQR labels. It works the other way too, so you can scan DuitNow QR codes in Malaysia with a participating Singapore banking app.

3. What’s the difference between PayNow and DuitNow?

PayNow is Singapore’s real-time transfer service for S$, and PayNet DuitNow is Malaysia’s equivalent for ringgit. Both replace bank details with a mobile number or other ID. Since November 2023, individuals can send money between them.

4. Can Singapore businesses accept DuitNow payments?

Yes, in store. A Singapore merchant accepting NETS QR can take payments from Malaysian customers using participating DuitNow apps. The transfer linkage is built for individuals, so check with your bank before using it for business receipts.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or professional advice. This article should not be regarded as constituting an offer or a solicitation to buy or sell any regulated or financial products or services. WorldFirst makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the content, and readers are encouraged to consult with legal professionals or other professionals for advice tailored to their specific situation. WorldFirst does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of this article and expressly disclaims any and all liability to any person in respect of the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done wholly or partly in reliance on this article.