Touch ’n Go: Connecting Singapore Merchants to Malaysia’s Cashless Consumers

Touch ’n Go eWallet has become one of Malaysia’s most dominant digital payment platforms, with over 20 million active users and wide adoption across transport, retail, and dining. As cross-border travel between Singapore and Malaysia rebounds, accepting Touch ’n Go payments has turned from a nice-to-have into a strategic advantage for merchants operating near tourist districts or serving Malaysian visitors.

For Singapore businesses, particularly in F&B, retail, and hospitality, enabling Touch ’n Go acceptance bridges one of Southeast Asia’s busiest travel and spending corridors. Every weekend, thousands of Malaysians visit Singapore for shopping and dining, preferring to pay through their trusted mobile wallet rather than cash or cards. With interoperability now supported under Alipay+, Singapore merchants can accept Touch ’n Go payments through the same unified QR system that supports Alipay and other regional wallets.

Through Debia’s unified payment gateway and POS, merchants can activate Touch ’n Go acceptance alongside PayNow, Visa, GrabPay, and other major rails, all managed within one simple dashboard. This ensures faster transactions, smoother reconciliation, and a better experience for both Malaysian customers and local staff.

What Does Touch ’n Go Offer?

Touch ’n Go eWallet represents more than simply payment. It is one of Southeast Asia’s most active consumer ecosystems, with usage ranging from transport, dining, retail, and online commerce. For merchants, enabling Touch ’n Go allows direct connections to Malaysia’s growing cashless population.

1. Access to a High-Spending Market:

According to Malaysia’s central bank, mobile wallet transactions surpassed RM90 billion in 2023, with Touch ’n Go leading the market. On weekends and holidays, Malaysians often travel to Singapore, contributing approximately S$1 billion annually in various sectors. By offering, Touch ’n Go merchants can expect increased sales and traffic due to the offered convenience and ease. 

2. Instant QR-Based Payments

Transactions are completed via QR codes, removing the friction of card authentication or cash handling. For cafes, quick-service restaurants, and convenience stores, this translated into shorter queues and higher throughput per hour.

3. Automatic Settlements in Singapore Dollars

All transactions via Touch ’n Go are converted and settled in SGD, ensuring complete transparency and ease in consolidation. Through Debia’s unified dashboard, settlements are summarized in one convenient location, making reconciliation straightforward.

In addition, Touch ’n Go also lies in the AliPay+ ecosystem, connecting over 1.2 billion users across Asia. This allows a single QR code at checkout to accept not only Touch ’n Go but Gcash, TrueMoney, and AliPay, creating operational efficiency and simplicity. 

How Debia Simplifies Touch ’n Go Integration

Debia makes it simple for merchants to start accepting Touch ’n Go without the need for extra hardware or complex onboarding. The goal is to help Singapore businesses serve Malaysian customers faster, with full visibility and control over their settlements.

1. Fast Activation

Touch ’n Go acceptance can be enabled directly from your Debia merchant dashboard. Once activated, your existing POS or softPOS system will automatically recognise and process Touch ’n Go QR transactions. There’s no need for a separate terminal, integration work, or merchant account.

2. Unified Reporting Across All Payment Rails

Every Touch ’n Go transaction appears within the same merchant portal used for PayNow, Visa, Mastercard, and Alipay+. This consolidated reporting helps finance teams reconcile settlements faster, reducing manual data entry and eliminating errors that slow down month-end closing.

3. Transparent Settlement in Singapore Dollars

All Touch ’n Go payments are automatically converted from Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) to Singapore Dollars (SGD) at settlement. Merchants receive payouts in their local currency, fully reconciled, without handling foreign exchange manually.

4. Secure and Compliant Processing

Debia is a licensed Major Payment Institution under the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Every Touch ’n Go transaction is encrypted and processed under PCI DSS standards, ensuring both compliance and data protection. Merchants can confidently expand their payment options knowing each transaction meets Singapore’s regulatory standards.

Interested in working with Debia?

Get In Touch

Data and Market Insights on Malaysian Digital Payments

Malaysia’s cashless transformation is among the fastest in Southeast Asia, driven largely by mobile wallets like Touch ’n Go. As of 2024, over 19 million Malaysians actively use Touch ’n Go eWallet, representing more than 70% of the country’s adult population. According to Bank Negara Malaysia, mobile wallet transactions exceeded RM50 billion in value in 2023, growing at an annual rate of more than 30%.

For Singapore merchants, these numbers signal a clear opportunity: Malaysian visitors are not just numerous, they’re digitally active and expect to pay with their preferred e-wallet. In 2023, Malaysia ranked among the top three visitor groups for Singapore, contributing S$1.6 billion in tourism receipts. With travel volumes fully recovered in 2024, enabling Touch ’n Go is no longer a niche feature; it’s a practical way to capture inbound spending from one of Singapore’s most frequent visitor segments.

Want updates, trends, and news on fintech payments?

Visit Debia Blogs

Conclusion

Touch ’n Go represents more than just another e-wallet; it is the digital gateway to millions of Malaysian consumers who are already comfortable with mobile-first, cross-border payments. For Singapore merchants, accepting Touch ’n Go through Debia means removing friction at checkout, capturing regional spending, and staying aligned with the future of QR-based commerce in Southeast Asia.

Debia simplifies this process through a unified POS and payment gateway that integrates Touch ’n Go alongside PayNow, GrabPay, Alipay+, and major card networks. From a single dashboard, merchants can view settlements, track transactions, and manage all payment rails in Singapore dollars, with no separate contracts and no added complexity.

With Debia, enabling Touch ’n Go is not just about convenience; it’s about competitiveness. As travel between Malaysia and Singapore continues to grow, businesses that offer familiar, fast, and secure cashless options will naturally capture more customers and repeat visits.

To see how Touch ’n Go fits within your broader payment acceptance strategy, visit the Debia Payments page.

For tailored setup guidance and merchant support, contact the Debia team at hello@debia.co to start integrating Touch ’n Go today.

Talk To Our Experts