How international travelers, nomads & expats can pay with QR codes in Malaysia
Nasi lemak in Kuala Lumpur, street art and hawker stalls in Penang, a beach in Langkawi: the pink DuitNow QR stand is at every one of them. Moreta Pay scans it for you, funded from the bank or card you already have, so you pay in ringgit without a Malaysian account.
DuitNow
Costs, limits and tips
Paying in Malaysia
Guide updated
Moreta Pay lets tourists scan and pay in Malaysia instead of exchanging cash: it reads DuitNow QR codes at Malaysian merchants and pays them in ringgit from the bank or card you already have, at the live rate.
What it costs
- Transaction fee
- 1.5%
- Exchange rate today
- 1 USD = 4.04 MYRLive rate, updated recently
Limits
- Max payment
- 12,000 MYR
- Weekly limit
- 24,000 MYR
The app always shows the live rate and the exact cost before you pay.
Local tips
- Look for the pink DuitNow QR mark. It is the same code whichever bank the stall uses.
- Keep a little cash for pasar malam stalls in smaller towns and for toll-free parking attendants.
- Data is cheap and good in Malaysia, and a local SIM or eSIM covers the moment you scan.
Why QR code is the best way to pay in Malaysia
QR codes are how people pay in Malaysia: hold up a phone, scan the code on the counter, done. DuitNow QR is Malaysia's single national code, accepted by every bank and e-wallet in the country, so a hawker only needs one stand on the counter. Mamak restaurants, night markets, pharmacies, taxis and even parking machines show it, and most locals scan rather than tap.
Moreta gives you the same thing as a visitor. A scan is contactless, so there is no card to hand over and no cash to carry, and each payment costs one flat fee at the live rate instead of a foreign transaction fee and a marked-up rate from your bank at home.
The problem with paying abroad as a tourist, expat or nomad
Paying abroad with the card in your wallet is easy until it is not. Your bank may block the first charge as suspicious. When it goes through, most cards add a foreign transaction fee and convert at a rate of their choosing, and some terminals offer to charge you in your own currency at a worse one.
Cash is no better. ATMs stack your bank's withdrawal fee, the operator's fee and a poor rate, and you still end up carrying more Malaysian ringgit than you need and changing the rest back at the airport. Paying by QR from a wallet you fund yourself skips all of it: one fee, the live rate and no plastic.
Card or cash
- A foreign transaction fee on most cards
- Your bank's rate, or the terminal's worse one
- ATM fees from your bank and the operator
- Leftover Malaysian ringgit to change back
Moreta
- One flat fee, shown before you slide to pay
- The live rate at the moment you pay
- No ATM and no card to hand over
- What you do not spend stays for the next country
How Moreta Pay works
Moreta is a wallet on your phone that pays DuitNow codes as if a local had scanned them. Set it up once, at home or on the plane, and it is ready before you land in Malaysia.
01Verify your identity
Download Moreta, scan your passport and take a selfie. Verification usually takes a few minutes, and your account can move money as soon as it passes.
- 02
Load funds to your Moreta Pay wallet
Link a US bank through Plaid, or send a SEPA, Faster Payments, Interac or PayID transfer. Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and USDC work too, and you can top up from the road.
- 03
Scan QR codes at local shops & restaurants
Tap Scan and point your camera at the DuitNow code on the counter. Moreta reads it the way a Malaysian bank app would.
- 04
Get seamless payments on the go
Check the amount in Malaysian ringgit, what it costs in your own currency and the fee, then slide to pay. The merchant sees the payment in their own app the moment it clears.
USD
EUR
GBP
CAD
AUD
Why Moreta Pay is better than alternatives
No local bank account required
Pay from the bank or card you already have. Nothing to open, nothing to close when you leave.
Seamless integration with DuitNow QR
DuitNow QR is run by PayNet, Malaysia's national payments network, and any code carrying the DuitNow mark reaches the merchant's account in seconds. Moreta pays it directly, whatever bank or wallet printed the stand.
Designed for international travelers, expats & nomads
A two-week trip or a year abroad, it works the same, and what you do not spend stays for the next country.
Several accepted payment types
Top up by bank transfer in US dollars, euros, pounds, Canadian or Australian dollars, or with a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or USDC.
Lower fees compared to cash or card alternatives
One flat fee per payment, shown before you confirm. No ATM fees, and most banks add no foreign transaction fee.
Instant, contactless QR payments
Scan, check, slide. Nothing to hand over, and the merchant is paid in seconds.
Real exchange rates
Every payment converts to Malaysian ringgit at the live rate at the moment you pay.
See today's rate
Frequently asked questions
What travellers ask before paying by QR in Malaysia.
Showing 6 of 9 questions
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More ways to pay
Activate your Moreta Pay account before your trip
Set up Moreta, add money and land in Malaysia ready to scan. No cash to change, no card to worry about, and one flat fee at the live rate on every payment.
Also works in 
Vietnam, 
Thailand, 
Cambodia, 
the Philippines, 
Laos, and 9 more countries