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DuitNow QR: How to Get and Use One

DuitNow QR is Malaysia’s national QR payment standard, operated by PayNet, and the practical thing to know before you go looking for a generator is that you cannot make one. A merchant DuitNow QR encodes a registered merchant identifier issued by a bank or e-wallet provider against a settlement account, and no third-party tool can allocate that. What you can do is get one free from your bank, re-print a payload your bank has already issued you at a larger size, and pair it with QR codes you generate yourself for things that are not payments — your menu, your ordering page, your review link, your WiFi. This page covers how to obtain the official code, what the difference between a personal and a merchant code actually is, and the display mistakes that cost real scans at a counter.

What DuitNow QR is

DuitNow QR is the interoperable standard that replaced a fragmented set of wallet-specific codes: one code accepts payment from any participating Malaysian bank app or e-wallet — Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, Touch ’n Go eWallet, GrabPay, Boost, ShopeePay and dozens more — with funds arriving in your account rather than in a wallet balance you then have to withdraw.

It follows the EMVCo QR specification, which is why it looks like the payment codes used in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, and why cross-border acceptance is possible where PayNet has established a link with the other country’s operator.

Personal versus merchant codes

A personal DuitNow QR lives inside your own banking app under a heading like “Receive” or “My QR”. It is free, instant, and intended for transfers between individuals — splitting a bill, paying a friend. It is not intended for trade, and using one to run a business creates problems at reconciliation time and with your bank’s terms.

A merchant DuitNow QR is issued by your bank or acquirer after a merchant application, settles to a business account, and comes with the transaction reporting a business actually needs. Most Malaysian banks issue one free to small businesses, and the application is usually handled inside the business banking app or portal.

Can a QR generator create one?

Not from scratch. The payload has to carry a merchant identifier that only an issuer can allocate, so any tool offering to build a DuitNow QR from your name and phone number is producing something that will not work — or worse, something that scans and points at nothing.

What a general-purpose generator is legitimately for: re-encoding a payload your bank has already given you at a higher resolution for a large print run, and making the non-payment codes that sit alongside it. A counter card carrying the bank-issued payment QR plus a self-made QR for your menu or Google review page covers what most small businesses need.

Printing and display

Print at least 8 × 8 cm for a counter code and considerably larger for anything scanned from a distance. Keep dark modules on a white background — inverted or low-contrast codes fail on older phone cameras — and leave the quiet zone, the blank margin around the pattern, completely clear. Crowding it with a border or a logo is the most common reason a technically valid code will not scan.

Laminate or use a matte finish: glare from overhead lighting on a glossy card is the second most common failure. Show the DuitNow logo so customers recognise what they are scanning, and test with at least two different bank apps before committing to a print run.

Watch for sticker replacement

Pasting a different QR over a merchant’s code is a well-documented fraud across every market that uses payment QRs, and it costs the merchant the sale as well as the customer the money. The defence on the customer side is simply reading the payee name the app displays before confirming — it comes from the code, and it will be wrong if the sticker was swapped.

On the merchant side, check the code on your counter periodically against your own, and prefer a fixed, tamper-evident mounting to a loose card that can be covered in a moment.

Need a general-purpose code instead? Use the free QR code generator — it runs entirely in your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is DuitNow QR free for merchants?

Most banks currently waive merchant fees for small businesses on DuitNow QR transactions, but fee schedules differ by bank and by transaction type, and they change. Confirm with your own bank rather than relying on a general statement.

Can foreigners pay a DuitNow QR?

Where PayNet has a cross-border link with the visitor’s home scheme, yes — arrangements exist with schemes in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and others. It depends on the specific bilateral link and the visitor’s bank participating, not on the QR format, so do not assume it works for every tourist.

Can I generate a DuitNow QR with an online tool?

No. The payload must carry a merchant identifier issued by a bank or licensed provider against a settlement account. Apply through your bank. A generator can re-print a payload you already have, and can make non-payment codes for your menu or ordering page.

What is the difference between a static and a dynamic DuitNow QR?

A static code identifies you but carries no amount, so the customer types it in. A dynamic code is generated per transaction with the amount and a reference already encoded, which removes typing errors and makes reconciliation automatic. Dynamic codes come from a terminal or a payment SDK.

Does my DuitNow QR expire?

A static merchant code stays valid while your merchant registration and settlement account remain active. It is not a subscription-backed redirect, so there is nothing to lapse — unlike a marketing QR from a dynamic QR vendor, which stops working if you stop paying.

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