Policy support and wider acceptance underpin card usage
In Malaysia, financial cards and payments recorded higher card circulation and rising transaction activity in 2025, supported by wider acceptance, POS expansion and growing contactless usage for low-value purchases. E-commerce growth and wallet-linked spending reinforced the role of card credentials in online checkout, while initiatives such as DuitNow QR broadened acceptance among smaller merchants and micro businesses. Digital-only banks launching in 2024 added momentum through mobile-first onboarding, cashback mechanics and integrated money-management tools that improved activation, particularly among younger users. Touch ‘n Go remained the leading issuer, leveraging its transport-linked ecosystem and feature upgrades, while Visa retained the strongest network position and Affin and BigPay stood out for product-led momentum. Over the forecast period, policy-led cashless initiatives, further scaling of QR acceptance and wider tokenised mobile payments are expected to sustain growth in cards and usage intensity.
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Overview:
Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Financial Cards and Payments industry in Malaysia with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.
Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.
If you're in the Financial Cards and Payments industry in Malaysia, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.
The Financial Cards and Payments in Malaysia report includes:
- Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
- Detailed segmentation of international and local products
- Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
- Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
- Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country
This report answers:
- What is the market size of Financial Cards and Payments in Malaysia?
- What are the major trends key to understanding Financial Cards and Payments in Malaysia?
- How has COVID-19, recession and macroeconomic volatility impacted the market?
- How long will the market take to recover? What are the opportunities now?
- How will political context and shifting cultural values shape future growth?
- Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?
Financial Cards and Payments in Malaysia - Industry Overview
Policy support and wider acceptance underpin card usage
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Cashless infrastructure and digital commerce lift financial cards adoption in 2025
Government initiatives and infrastructure expansion support growth
Increased acceptance strengthens performance
Policy-led cashless momentum and DuitNow QR scale will sustain growth in cards and usage
Tokenised mobile payments and open loop transit access will lift everyday card relevance
Fintech ecosystems and PayNet programmes will accelerate activation and embed cashless habits
Touch ‘n Go leads issuance through transport-linked scale and feature upgrades
Visa retains strong position while Affin and BigPay show strong dynamism
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
Charge Cards in Malaysia - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Premium benefits sustain charge card relevance
BNM Blueprint and DuitNow integration push charge card adoption in Malaysia
Charge card transactions rise as frequency and everyday acceptance improves
Maybank–Amex offerings and lifestyle rewards to drive premiumisation
Issuer-led innovation and rewards ecosystems will fuel category expansion
Growing corporate adoption of charge cards set to streamline business expenses
Premium charge cards gain momentum with luxury perks and travel benefits
Maybank anchors issuer leadership as digital integration and DuitNow QR expansion strengthens engagement
Credit Cards in Malaysia - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Rewards and contactless functionality boost credit card engagement
Rise in credit cards in Malaysia driven by digital adoption and consumer incentives
Contactless and rewards-led propositions gain traction
Policy support and digital adoption should sustain transaction growth
AI-driven personalisation will become more visible within issuer app strategies
Co-branded cards to boost loyalty through niche lifestyle and ecosystem partnerships
Visa leads credit card operations through credential flexibility and biometric security
Issuer differentiation and premium dynamism intensifies across portfolios and propositions
Debit Cards in Malaysia - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Debit usage broadens as contactless becomes routine
Debit card growth fuelled by digitalisation and economic resilience
Debit cards underpin e-payment transaction growth
Debit card transactions set for sustained growth as cashless policy deepens
Competition to intensify as digital banks and e-wallet ecosystems expands
App-led security and usability to become a decisive driver of debit engagement
Visa leads debit operations through tokenisation, passkeys and expanded contactless acceptance
Issuer leadership centres on security control, multi-currency value and DuitNow QR interoperability
Pre-Paid Cards in Malaysia - Category analysis
KEY DATA FINDINGS
Wallet integration lifts prepaid usage beyond transit
Expansion of e-commerce and recurring payments supports growth in pre-paid cards
Pre-paid card transactions increase as cards move into everyday recurring spend
Mobile wallets to drive everyday pre-paid card usage in Malaysia
Government-led cashless push is accelerating prepaid adoption
Cross-border connectivity enhances prepaid card utility
Transit-linked prepaid cards gain momentum through innovation and payment flexibility
Touch ‘n Go anchors open-loop prepaid leadership through wallet scale and global Visa interoperability
COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER
The following categories and subcategories are included:
Financial Cards and Payments
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- ATM Cards
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- Commercial Charge Cards
- Personal Charge Cards
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- Commercial Credit Cards
- Personal Credit Cards
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- Commercial Debit Cards
- Personal Debit Cards
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- Closed Loop Pre-Paid Cards
- Open Loop Pre-Paid Cards
- Store Cards
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- ATM Transactions
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- Commercial Charge Card Transactions
- Personal Charge Card Transactions
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- Commercial Credit Card Transactions
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- Average Personal Credit Card Balance
- Average Personal Credit Card Limit
- Personal Credit Card Utilisation
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- Commercial Debit Card Transactions
- Personal Debit Card Transactions
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- Closed Loop Pre-Paid Card Transactions
- Open Loop Pre-Paid Card Transactions
- Store Card Transactions
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- Commercial Card Payment Transactions
- Commercial Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
- Commercial Paper Payment Transactions
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- Personal Card Payment Transactions
- Personal Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
- Personal Paper Payment Transactions
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- Commercial Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
- Personal Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
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- Commercial Cash Transactions
- Commercial Other Paper Transactions
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- Personal Cash Transactions
- Personal Other Paper Transactions
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- Mobile Proximity Payments
- Mobile Remote Payments
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Financial Cards and Payments
Payments are tracked based on the country of residence / account issuance and include outbound spend while excluding inbound spend.
See all of our definitionsWhy buy this report?
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This report originates from Passport, our Financial Cards and Payments research and analysis database.
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