Hong Leong Bank enables merchants to accept WeChat Pay

HLB customers can now bind their debit cards into the Chinese e-wallet system.

Hong Leong Bank (HLB) has enabled customers to bind their debit cards into WeChat’s digital wallet system and use WeChat Pay as an alternative payment option, according to a statement.

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The move means that merchants and individual users to conduct transactions with WeChat Pay in local currency or in Ringgit at WeChat Pay’s wide range of shops, platforms and third party services.

The partnership will also enable Chinese tourists in Malaysia to pay using their WeChat accounts.

“When we took the step to become a merchant acquirer for WeChat Pay in Malaysia, we were not only looking to expand the payment ecosystem to enable our Malaysian merchants to cater to the Chinese tourists market. We were also gearing up our merchant acquisition strategy to prepare for the day when WeChat Pay is available in the local currency,” Domenic Fuda, HLB group managing director and CEO of HLB said in a statement.

The service will also expand to other HLB WeChat Pay merchants including Giant, Resorts World Genting, MyNews and GSC in the coming months.

“With a proven platform such as WeChat Pay, ready-to-activate users already on WeChat and the growing number of merchants signing up to WeChat Pay, we are confident that WeChat Pay will be received positively in Malaysia,” added Fuda.