Guide for visitors
DuitNow QR for tourists:pay in ringgit with your phone
The short answer
Yes. Tourists can pay with DuitNow QR in Malaysia. You do not need a Malaysian bank account. Verify once in YouApp with your passport, top up your non-custodial wallet, then scan any DuitNow QR and pay in ringgit. The merchant is paid in ringgit by licensed parties. Fees show before you confirm.
On this page
- Can tourists use DuitNow QR in Malaysia?
- Do I need a Malaysian bank account?
- What if I only have a passport?
- What should I set up before I arrive?
- How do I pay at the counter?
- What does scanning cost, and what are the limits?
- Who holds my money while I travel?
- Does DuitNow QR with YouApp work outside Malaysia?
Can tourists use DuitNow QR in Malaysia?
Yes. DuitNow QR is Malaysia's national QR standard, run by PayNet. It is accepted at more than 3 million merchants, from mall chains to hawker stalls. The sticker on the counter does not care where you are from. What matters is the app you scan it with.
YouApp is built for exactly this. It is a verified-only app for travellers and locals. You verify once, top up your wallet, and scan. The merchant is paid in ringgit by licensed parties, so the stall owner simply sees a normal DuitNow payment arrive.
Do I need a Malaysian bank account?
No. A Malaysian bank account is not required to hold a YouApp balance or to scan a DuitNow QR. What you need is an identity document, a selfie and a way to top up.
FPX is not supported. Top-ups reach your wallet by one of three routes:
- ERC-20 stablecoins on Ethereum mainnet: MYRT, XSGD, JPYC, IDRT and USD stablecoins
- A DuitNow transfer, if you already have a Malaysian bank account
- A debit or credit card
What if I only have a passport?
A passport is enough. Verification accepts MyKad, a passport or Singpass, plus a selfie liveness check. It takes about two minutes and you do it once. A passport works for visitors from outside Malaysia.
You can browse YouApp without an account to see what is there. Paying is for verified users only, so it is worth finishing the check before you fly rather than at the counter of your first kopitiam.
What should I set up before I arrive?
Four steps, none of them long. Do them at home on hotel wifi rather than in a queue.
Your wallet balance is shown in MYRT, the Malaysia Ringgit Stablecoin, which is minted and redeemed 1:1 for ringgit.
| Step | What you do | How long |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Download | Get YouApp from your app store and open it | A few minutes |
| 2. Verify | MyKad, passport or Singpass, plus a selfie liveness check | About two minutes, once |
| 3. Top up | ERC-20 stablecoins on Ethereum mainnet, a DuitNow transfer, or a debit or credit card | Depends on the method |
| 4. Check the fee | Fees appear before you confirm, up to 1.5% on scan to pay | On screen |
| 5. Scan | Point the camera at any DuitNow QR and pay in ringgit | Seconds |
How do I pay at the counter?
Open YouApp, tap scan, and point the camera at the DuitNow QR code. If the code does not carry an amount, type it in. The amount in ringgit and the fee appear on screen before you confirm.
Confirm, and show the receipt to the cashier. Merchants are always paid in ringgit by licensed parties, never in stablecoins, so there is nothing for the merchant to learn or install.
What does scanning cost, and what are the limits?
Fees are shown before you confirm, every time. The YouApp fee on scan to pay is up to 1.5%. Card processing is up to 2%. Limits are RM20,000 per transaction and RM120,000 per month.
YouApp is not a currency exchange counter and does not quote exchange rates. Read the amount on screen, then confirm.
Fees and limits
Shown before you confirm.
- YouApp fee, scan to pay
- up to 1.5%
- Card processing
- up to 2%
- Per transaction
- RM20,000
- Per month
- RM120,000
Who holds my money while I travel?
You do. The YouApp wallet is non-custodial and powered by Privy, which means YouApp never holds or touches your YouApp wallet funds or stablecoins. Conversion is powered by Sera, a non-custodial settlement protocol.
Two warnings worth reading twice. Blockchain transfers are irreversible once confirmed. Funds sent on another network cannot be recovered, so top up on Ethereum mainnet only and check the network before every transfer.
Conversion powered by
(sera.cx), a non-custodial settlement protocol for stablecoins.
Non-custodial wallet powered by
Every payment, conversion and settlement is provided by licensed parties. Your YouApp wallet is non-custodial: YouApp never holds or touches your YouApp wallet funds or stablecoins. MYRT is the Malaysia Ringgit Stablecoin, a limited-purpose stablecoin minted and redeemed 1:1 for ringgit, with its reserve held at a licensed Shariah-compliant fund.
Does DuitNow QR with YouApp work outside Malaysia?
Not today. YouApp works with DuitNow QR in Malaysia. Cross-border QR payments are planned from 2027 and are not live, so plan your trip on the basis of Malaysia only.
While you are here, the same balance books experiences with verified local hosts. Booking payments are held until the session is completed, then released to the host in ringgit less a 5% host fee. Cashback in MYRT is available at partner merchants, hosts and activities only, and is funded by them.
Questions visitors ask
- Can tourists use DuitNow QR in Malaysia?
- Yes. DuitNow QR is Malaysia's national QR standard, run by PayNet, and it is accepted at more than 3 million merchants. Tourists can pay with it through YouApp after verifying once with a passport, MyKad or Singpass.
- Do I need a Malaysian bank account to use DuitNow QR?
- No. You can top up a YouApp wallet with ERC-20 stablecoins on Ethereum mainnet, by DuitNow transfer, or with a debit or credit card. FPX is not supported.
- What identity document do I need as a visitor?
- A passport is enough. Verification accepts MyKad, a passport or Singpass, plus a selfie liveness check. It takes about two minutes and you do it once.
- What does it cost to scan and pay?
- The YouApp fee on scan to pay is up to 1.5% and card processing is up to 2%. Limits are RM20,000 per transaction and RM120,000 per month. Every fee is shown before you confirm.
- Are merchants paid in stablecoins?
- No. Merchants are always paid in ringgit by licensed parties. Your YouApp balance is held in MYRT, the Malaysia Ringgit Stablecoin, which is minted and redeemed 1:1 for ringgit.
- Is the YouApp wallet custodial?
- No. The wallet is non-custodial and powered by Privy, so YouApp never holds or touches your YouApp wallet funds or stablecoins. Conversion is powered by Sera, a non-custodial settlement protocol.
- Can I use YouApp outside Malaysia?
- Not today. YouApp works with DuitNow QR in Malaysia. Cross-border QR payments are planned from 2027 and are not live.
Read next
The rest of the detail, in plain English.
Land, scan, eat.
Verify once with your passport, top up, and pay at more than 3 million DuitNow QR merchants in Malaysia.
