JCB has signed an MoU with Hanoi Metro to launch JCB transit in early 2027, letting cardholders tap contactless JCB cards or phones at fare gates. It joins Visa, already live on Lines 2A and 3.1, and targets visitors from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.
Read More
Fitch estimates Malaysia’s Islamic finance industry is now worth more than US$800 billion, while Bank Negara Malaysia urges banks to turn tokenised sukuk pilots into everyday deals. A tokenised retail savings sukuk in Budget 2027 could bring the technology to ordinary savers.
Read More
Four more Philippine banks are expected to switch on Apple Pay around November, taking the total to eight, Mastercard’s country manager says. More lenders should follow in early 2027, as BSP data show digital payments now make up most retail payments.
Read More
Maybank now lets eligible Singapore companies open a ringgit current account, so they can hold ringgit and pay Malaysian suppliers without last-minute currency conversions. It follows OCBC letting Singapore savers hold up to RM50,000, as banks chase growing flows across the Causeway.
Read More
Woori Bank and Samsung have taken Samsung Wallet Money overseas. Galaxy users can now tap to pay at about 150 million Mastercard merchants worldwide and scan WeChat Pay QR codes in China, paying from a prepaid won balance with no card, cash or extra app.
Read More
PayNet has switched on outbound DuitNow QR payments through Ant International’s Alipay+, letting Maybank, CIMB and Hong Leong Bank customers scan and pay in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and Laos straight from their Malaysian banking apps, with Bank Islam joining soon.
Read More
From 1 November, Thai bank branches can ask customers depositing or exchanging 5 million baht or more in cash to explain where the money came from, as the Bank of Thailand widens its campaign against scams, money laundering and the grey economy.
Read More
Maybank Islamic and Credit Guarantee Corporation Malaysia have launched what they call Malaysia’s first supply chain financing guarantee scheme anchored by mid-tier companies, letting MSME suppliers receive early payment on approved invoices instead of waiting for buyers to pay.
Read More
Grab, Wise and Liquid Group are the first payment firms to declare adherence to the Singapore FinTech Association’s voluntary payments code, which requires full cost disclosure before payment, bans drip pricing and misleading zero-fee claims, and sets standards on fraud, data breaches and resilience.
Read More
Bank Negara Malaysia has replaced its 2019 rulebook for the electronic platforms banks and brokers use to trade ringgit FX and short-term funding. The new framework, effective 1 November 2026, sets approval, audit, resilience and conduct standards for operators.
Read More