10 best international payment gateways for Malaysia (2026)

Key takeaways:

• International payment gateways help Malaysian businesses accept payments from overseas customers in multiple currencies and payment methods.

• When choosing a gateway, look for support for MY local methods (FPX, e‑wallets), multi‑currency pricing and like‑for‑like settlement, plus clear fees and compliance with Bank Negara Malaysia rules.

• Airwallex combines a global payment gateway with multi‑currency accounts, local MY methods and interbank FX, giving Malaysian businesses one platform to accept, hold and pay out in multiple currencies.

Malaysian businesses are selling to customers far beyond their home market, but many still rely on basic bank transfers to get paid. Those tools work locally, yet they quickly become limiting once you start pricing in USD and dealing with multiple currencies.

A good international payment gateway helps you bridge that gap. It lets customers pay you in their own currency and preferred methods, while giving you control over how and when you convert funds.

In this guide, we’ll compare 10 international payment gateways that work for Malaysian businesses. We’ll also show you how Airwallex brings payment acceptance, multi‑currency accounts and FX together in one platform, so you can manage global collections and payouts from a single place.

What is an international payment gateway?

An international payment gateway is a platform that processes payments from customers around the world, handling multiple currencies and payment methods in a single system.

Think of it as a digital checkout counter that sits between your customer's bank and your business account. When your customer in the US buys from your Malaysian business, the gateway securely captures their payment details, verifies the transaction, and transfers the funds to your account.

International payment gateways differ from domestic Malaysian solutions like FPX in several key ways. Whilst FPX connects directly to Malaysian banks for ringgit transactions, international gateways support currencies and payment methods like Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and regional options like Alipay.

They also handle currency conversion, fraud detection across borders, and compliance with regulations in multiple countries – all things you'll need when selling to customers outside Malaysia.

How to evaluate a payment gateway for international payments in Malaysia

The payment gateway you choose will impact your costs, customer experience, and how efficiently you operate. Here are five factors to keep in mind:

1. Payment methods and localisation

Your gateway should support both Malaysian and international payment methods to maximise conversion. For domestic customers, you'll need local payment methods like FPX, Touch 'n Go eWallet, Boost, and GrabPay.

For international sales, prioritise Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, plus additional methods depending on what region you’re focusing on:

• China: Alipay, WeChat Pay

• India: UPI

• Southeast Asia: GrabPay

The best gateways let you display prices in your customer's local currency at checkout. This transparency builds trust and reduces cart abandonment.

2. Multi-currency pricing and like-for-like settlement

Multi-currency pricing lets customers see prices in their local currency, such as USD, SGD, or EUR, which makes for a much better customer experience. Once the payment is made, how your payment gateway settles those funds is just as important.

Like-for-like settlement means if a customer pays you in USD, you receive and hold USD without forced conversion to ringgit. This lets you use your USD to pay your US suppliers or US-based subscriptions directly, and saves you money on FX fees. That’s why like-for-like settlement is especially important for Malaysian businesses selling internationally.

3. Feex, FX spreads, and chargebacks

Payment gateway costs extend far beyond the advertised transaction fee. Here's what you're actually paying:

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 20 February 2026.

The FX spread is where many businesses lose money without realising it. If your gateway charges well above the interbank rate and you process foreign currency monthly, you're paying extra just in hidden currency markups. With Airwallex, you get FX near the interbank rate, letting you save up to 80% on FX fees.

4. Cross-border authorisation and approval rates

Authorisation rate simply means how many payment attempts actually go through. When you’re selling internationally from Malaysia, cross-border payments are more likely to be declined – even when the customer has enough funds and enters their details correctly. This usually happens because overseas banks see foreign merchants as higher risk, or because the payment is processed in a way that looks unfamiliar to them.

One way to reduce this is through local acquiring. If your payment gateway can process transactions through a partner in your customer’s country, the bank sees it as a local transaction instead of a foreign one. That alone can improve approval rates.

Some gateways also try to recover declined payments automatically. If a transaction fails the first time, the system can quickly retry it through a different route behind the scenes, without the customer re-entering their details.

3D Secure 2.0 (3DS2) also helps. Unlike older versions of 3D Secure, which interrupted checkout with extra password screens, 3DS2 shares more information with the bank in the background. This helps banks identify genuine customers and approve legitimate payments without adding friction.

5. Integration and launch time

How quickly you can start accepting payments depends on how your gateway integrates with your website or platform.

Some providers offer direct API integrations. These give you the most flexibility and control over your checkout experience, but they usually require developer support. You’ll need to build the payment flow, connect it to your system, and maintain the setup over time.

If you’re using platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, or Magento, pre-built plugins make things much simpler. You can often start accepting payments within a few hours instead of weeks. While you won’t have as much customisation, it’s more than enough for most businesses.

For an even faster setup, some gateways offer low or no-code options like payment links or hosted checkout pages. These require little to no technical work at all.

The 10 best international payment gateways in Malaysia

Here are the 10 best international payment gateways which help Malaysian businesses accept payments from local and global customers efficiently.

We’ll start off with a table providing a quick overview of coverage, supported currencies, and key features, before diving into the details for each provider in the sections that follow:

The information in this table has been reviewed to be accurate as of 20 February 2026.

1. Airwallex

Airwallex is a modern fintech solution built for businesses that operate across borders. With our platform, Malaysian businesses can accept payments from customers worldwide and settle funds in the same currency, without forced conversions. We combine payment acceptance with multi-currency accounts, so you can hold and manage foreign currency balances in one platform.

With Airwallex, you can accept major card networks, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and local payment methods such as FPX. We offer access to interbank FX rates with transparent markups, and support fast settlement with like-for-like currency options. Integration is straightforward, with APIs, plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce and Magento, as well as hosted checkout solutions. Airwallex is regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia and certified to PCI DSS Level 1 standards.

For Malaysian businesses, Airwallex removes the need to juggle multiple banking partners. You can accept payments from 160+ local payment methods, settle like-for-like in 20+ currencies, and pay overseas suppliers in 200+ countries, all from one platform.

2. Stripe

Stripe offers developer-friendly payment infrastructure with extensive APIs, pre-built components, and broad global support, making it a strong choice for tech-savvy businesses that want flexibility and customisation. For Malaysian businesses, Stripe supports card payments alongside local methods like FPX and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Stripe’s pricing is transparent and pay-as-you-go, with fees shown up front on the pricing page. For standard payments from Malaysian customers, the base rate is 3% + RM1.00 per successful charge, with additional fees when processing international cards or when a currency conversion is required.

3. PayPal

PayPal’s global brand recognition gives customers confidence at checkout, particularly in Western markets. The platform supports multiple currencies and includes buyer protection, which can help with conversion.

However, PayPal adds a cross-border fee¹¹ on top of standard fees for international transactions, and its exchange rates include a currency conversion fee¹² above the base rate rather than the true interbank rate. These additional costs can make cross-border payments with PayPal more expensive compared to other providers.

4. Adyen

Adyen is an enterprise-focused payment platform designed for large, multi-market businesses. It combines payment processing, acquiring, and global payment acceptance in a single system, making it particularly suitable for companies operating across multiple countries and channels.

Rather than publishing fixed rates, Adyen uses a customised Interchange++ pricing model. Fees are broken down into clear components, and the final pricing is tailored to each business and confirmed during the sales and onboarding process.

5. Worldpay

Worldpay is a long-established global payment processor that works with large merchants across multiple markets. It has deep relationships with major card networks and is commonly used by businesses that process high transaction volumes or operate in complex international environments.

Worldpay typically works on contract-based agreements, and pricing and onboarding are handled through a sales process rather than published as standard public rates. Like Adyen, Worldpay typically works on a sales-led model, where pricing and contracts are customised based on the business’s requirements and transaction volume.

6. Checkout.com

Checkout.com is a global payments platform built for high-growth and enterprise merchants. It focuses on optimising transaction performance, including approval rates and payment routing, across multiple markets. As such, it’s suitable for companies that prioritise payment performance and optimisation, including eCommerce brands and marketplaces.

The platform supports major card networks and a range of international payment methods, depending on the region. Pricing is typically provided through a sales process and tailored to business volume and requirements.

7. Verifone 2Checkout

2Checkout is commonly used by businesses selling digital products, software, and online services to international customers. It's particularly relevant for companies that distribute globally without maintaining local entities in every market.

In certain configurations, 2Checkout can act as the merchant of record, which means it may handle parts of payment processing, tax calculation, and compliance responsibilities on behalf of your business. This structure can simplify operations for companies focused on digital distribution.

For Malaysian businesses, 2Checkout is less useful if you mainly sell domestically or rely heavily on local payment methods, and more useful if you primarily sell digital products to overseas customers.

8. Tazapay

Tazapay focuses on cross-border payments with built-in escrow capabilities. The platform allows funds to be held securely until agreed conditions are met, helping reduce risk in international transactions between buyers and sellers.

This model is particularly useful for marketplaces, B2B platforms, and businesses facilitating cross-border trade where payment protection matters. For example, if a Malaysian company is sourcing products from a new overseas supplier, the funds can be held in escrow and only released once the goods are delivered as agreed.

Tazapay operates under a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). This means it is regulated under Singapore’s financial services framework, which includes compliance, safeguarding, and risk management requirements. While it does not operate under a Malaysia-specific payment licence, its MAS regulation provides oversight under a recognised regional regulatory authority.

9. Rapyd

Rapyd aggregates local payment methods globally through a single API, making it easier for you to accept region-specific payment methods without multiple integrations. The platform is particularly strong in emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia, Latin America, and parts of Africa, where alternative payment methods dominate.

Because Rapyd connects to many local payment networks, businesses can configure many region-specific options within one system. This breadth gives you strong global reach, but it also means you’ll want to plan your market-by-market setup carefully so your checkout experience stays streamlined and relevant for each audience.

10. Adaptis (formerly iPay88)

Adaptis (formerly iPay88) is a Malaysia-based payment gateway with deep experience in the local market and strong integration with Malaysia’s banking and payment networks. It is widely used by businesses that prioritise strong domestic payment coverage and local customer familiarity.

The platform supports major Malaysian payment methods, including FPX, credit and debit cards, and popular e-wallets such as Touch ’n Go, Boost, and GrabPay. It's particularly well suited for businesses focused primarily on the Malaysian market.

International payment capabilities are available, but global coverage and cross-border optimisation are generally less extensive compared with large international infrastructure providers.

How settlement, PCI and local compliance work in Malaysia

Payment service providers operating in Malaysia are regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) under the country’s financial services framework. Depending on their structure, providers must either hold the appropriate local licence or work with a licensed Malaysian bank or financial institution to offer payment services. When evaluating a gateway, confirm how it’s regulated and how it operates within Malaysia’s compliance framework.

For card payments, providers must meet PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) requirements. This is a global security standard designed to protect cardholder data. While PCI compliance applies to payment providers and merchants handling card data, most modern gateways reduce your exposure by securely processing and storing sensitive information on your behalf.

Data residency can also be an important consideration for certain industries. Some businesses – particularly in regulated sectors – may need to ensure that specific types of data are stored in approved locations. If this applies to your company, it’s worth confirming whether your provider supports local data handling or works with regulated banking partners that meet your requirements.

Choose Airwallex for international payments in Malaysia

For Malaysian businesses that sell internationally, Airwallex brings payments, multi-currency accounts, and international transfers together in one platform. Instead of managing separate banking relationships for different currencies, you can handle global collections and payouts from a single system. This means you can:

• Accept payments from customers using 160+ local payment methods.

• Settle funds quickly: 93% of our transactions arrive on the same day, and 45% arrive instantly.

• Hold and manage foreign currency balances in 20+ currencies.

• Send international payouts to 200+ countries directly.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Do Malaysian businesses need a local entity in other countries to accept international payments through a payment gateway?

Most international payment gateways let Malaysian businesses accept global payments without establishing overseas entities. Modern platforms like Airwallex provide virtual accounts in multiple countries, giving you local bank details for receiving payments without the cost and complexity of setting up foreign subsidiaries.

Can Malaysian merchants price in USD and settle in USD without converting to ringgit?

Yes, platforms like Airwallex support like-for-like settlement, which lets you collect and hold USD without forced conversion to ringgit. This is particularly valuable if you have USD expenses like software subscriptions or American suppliers – you can use those USD funds directly rather than converting to ringgit and back again.

Which local payment methods should Malaysian exporters prioritise for different international markets?

Focus on your target markets. For Western markets, prioritise Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. For China, Alipay and WeChat Pay are essential. For India, UPI has become dominant. For Southeast Asia, regional eWallets like GrabPay and Touch 'n Go work across multiple countries.

How quickly do international card payments and bank transfers settle into Malaysian ringgit accounts?

International card payments and bank transfers to Malaysian ringgit accounts typically settle within a few business days, depending on the payment method and provider. Some local or regional payment rails can arrive faster, while cross-border transfers routed through multiple banks may take longer. Airwallex enables fast, predictable settlement, with 93% of our transactions arriving on the same day and 45% arriving instantly.

What are the total costs when accepting cross-border payments, including card fees, FX spreads and chargebacks?

Cross-border payment costs usually include international card fees of around 2.5%–4%, FX spreads of roughly 0.5%–2% above the interbank rate if currency conversion is involved, and chargeback fees that commonly range from about RM50–RM150 per dispute, depending on the provider. These costs vary by gateway, transaction type, and business volume. Airwallex offers competitive FX rates that let you save up to 80% on FX fees.

How does 3D Secure 2.0 improve payment approval rates for Malaysian merchants selling internationally?

3D Secure 2.0 improves authorisation rates by sharing more customer data with issuing banks, helping them distinguish legitimate transactions from fraud. Malaysian merchants typically see higher approval rates with 3DS2 compared to the older 3D Secure protocol, whilst maintaining strong fraud protection.

Sources:

1. https://stripe.com/en-my/pricing

2. https://stripe.com/en-my

3. https://www.paypal.com/my/webapps/mpp/country-worldwide

4. https://www.adyen.com/

5. https://corporate.worldpay.com/

6. https://www.checkout.com/

7. https://www.2checkout.com/, https://www.2checkout.com/lp/2checkout-payment-method-coverage.html

8. https://tazapay.com/en-sg, https://support.tazapay.com/which-countries-payments-are-supported

9. https://www.rapyd.net/blog/cross-border-payments-in-gaming

10. https://my.nttdatapay.com/e-commerce

11. https://www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/article/what-are-the-cross-border-fees-when-selling-internationally-help550

12. https://www.paypal.com/my/digital-wallet/paypal-consumer-fees

This publication does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice from Airwallex nor substitute seeking such advice, and makes no express or implied representations / warranties / guarantees regarding content accuracy, completeness, or currency. If you would like to request an update, feel free to contact us at [[email protected]]. Airwallex (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd is licensed in Malaysia as a MSB Class B (remittance business only) licensee and is regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia (licence number 00318).