{"id":35161,"date":"2024-08-01T17:30:03","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T09:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=35161"},"modified":"2024-08-02T19:26:54","modified_gmt":"2024-08-02T11:26:54","slug":"choosing-e-wallet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/choosing-e-wallet","title":{"rendered":"[Updated] E-Wallet Comparison Guide For Malaysians"},"content":{"rendered":"
Having to dig through wallets for cash feels very primitive in the 21st century. Yet, not everyone has ready access to credit and debit cards. Others remain wary about credit cards and their potential pitfalls. This situation has led to the introduction of e-wallets; digital services that help people pay for things through smartphone apps.<\/p>\n
Given the options available, it\u2019s not easy to decide which of these to adopt. We take a look at the most popular e-wallets in Malaysia and try to figure out which gives you the best ROI.<\/p>\n
On the surface, e-wallets are like payment cards that work out of an app. You load funds into a virtual wallet, and then use those funds to pay for goods and services. How this works varies across the types of e-wallets. Some use QR code scanning to establish connections between customers and merchants in the real world, while others are only confined to internet transactions.<\/p>\n
Transfers using Near Field Connection (NFC) technology also exist, but aren\u2019t supported by a lot of smartphones.<\/p>\n
Payments are not the only thing that these e-wallets are capable of handling. Each service adds their own sprinkling of features that they believe will bring the most benefit to their target audience. Most common would be the option to transfer funds between individuals; although there are also features like buyer protections, loyalty card integration, and proprietary magnetic strip technology.<\/p>\n
For this comparison, we use the most important metrics for an e-wallet. Firstly, payment technology is important for how easy it is for both customers and merchants to begin using the system.<\/p>\n
Next is a short list of stores that accept the particular e-wallet; this is not a complete directory since it would take too much space to fit everything into one place. Instead, it\u2019s a collection of the most useful locations.<\/p>\n
Finally, there is a summary of additional features that set that particular e-wallet apart from the competition.<\/p>\n
Payment method<\/strong>: QR code, In-app payments<\/p>\n Notable merchant:<\/strong> 99 speedmart, Telekom Malaysia, SYABAS, DBKL Parking<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> Boost\u2019s main audience are smaller merchants that are only experimenting with the idea of cashless payments. The company has been targeting pasar malam vendors across the country, and has seen some success in that regard. More importantly, it\u2019s been working with utilities like Telekom Malaysia and SYABAS to all in-app bill payments. It\u2019s also expanding on a partnership to allow users to pay for parking in the greater KL area.<\/p>\n Boost also has a partnership with Shell stations, allowing users to pay for petrol at over 800 stations around the country. However, this still requires the user to scan the QR code at the counter.<\/p>\n A rise in the number of e-wallet related scams in 2020 caused Boost to discontinue a feature that allowed users to withdraw their credit to a bank account<\/a>. This took effect in May 2020, and had the unfortunate effect of removing one of Boost’s most unique features.<\/p>\n Payment method:<\/strong> QR code, In-app payments<\/p>\n Notable merchants:<\/strong> TeaLive, Inside Scoop, Manhattan Fish Market<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> GrabPay has the benefit of being part of the Grab Platform ecosystem; essentially allowing it to be used for calling a Grab ride or using it to order from Grab Food. It also has a partnership with Maybank for cross platform use with merchants that accept Maybank Pay.<\/p>\n It should be noted that while GrabPay is available across Southeast Asia it does not convert credits to local currencies. Meaning that customers will have to manually top up their credit when traveling.<\/p>\n Payment method:<\/strong> Online<\/p>\n Notable merchants:<\/strong> Lazada<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> Lazada Wallet is one of the few e-wallets to offer cashback on all purchases. This comes at the massive price of only being able to use it on Lazada\u2019s own online store, and having cashback credits that expire after a few months. This is perhaps the most limited of the e-wallets considering the scope. It\u2019s meant to lock users into the Lazada ecosystem, so people should be aware of what they are getting themselves into.<\/p>\n Hassle-free payment checkouts<\/p>Up to 10% rebate using Standard Chartered!<\/em><\/div> Payment method:<\/strong> Magnetic Field Transfer, NFC<\/p>\n Notable merchants<\/strong>: Anywhere that supports credit card swiping<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> Unlike the other e-wallets in this comparison, Samsung Pay doesn\u2019t actually store any funds. Instead, it stores payment card information and acts as a sort of additional layer between the two. What is unique here is its proprietary MFT technology. This allows a smartphone or smartwatch to mimic the magnetic strip on a credit card, allowing it to work without any additional investment from merchants. MFT also allows Samsung Pay to support loyalty cards like those from Aeon; meaning that those can also be stored within the app.<\/p>\n The only drawback is that Samsung Pay is confined to selected Samsung branded smartphones and smartwatches. MFT support also only appears on the highest end Samsung smartphones, leaving the more affordable devices with only NFC support. Although, nothing says living in the future like paying for lunch with your watch.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/span>GrabPay<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Lazada Wallet<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Lazada Wallet<\/a><\/h4>
<\/span>Samsung Pay<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>PayPal<\/span><\/h2>\n