“Oh… they don’t have the payment option I use. Never mind.”
Click. Tab closed. Sale gone.

Your customers are no different. Even if your prices are great and your product is perfect, if the way they want to pay isn’t available, many will simply leave.

Here’s the thing: according to IDC’s How Southeast Asia Buys and Pays 2025 report, just adding one more payment option can boost your revenue by an average of 7%. Let’s explore how and why this works, and which payment options Malaysian sellers should prioritise.
 

Why Adding Payment Methods Boosts Sales

Some people live on e-wallets, others can’t resist instalments, and a few are loyal to their credit card points. By giving them their preferred choice, you’re removing one more excuse to abandon their cart.

Here’s why:

1. You Reach More Types of Shoppers

When Southeast Asian merchants added new payment methods in 2024, 60% saw sales go up, with revenue growing an average of 7% just from the new option.

• Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) makes higher-value purchases more accessible by letting customers pay in instalments, especially attractive to uncarded or budget-conscious shoppers.

• Many consumers actively seek out merchants that accept specific payment methods to earn loyalty points or hit spending goals set by their bank.

2. You Make Checkout Effortless

55% of merchants found that new payment options improved their customers’ overall experience.

• A smoother checkout reduces cart abandonment rates and increases repeat purchases.

• Payment innovations such as one-click checkout and biometric authentication (fingerprint, face, or voice recognition) help speed up the process, making impulse purchases more likely to happen.

3. You Build Trust and Prevent Fraud

54% of merchants reported that better payment security translated directly into higher revenue and lower costs.

• Newer payment solutions often come with advanced security features like virtual cards, tokenisation, and biometric authentication, which help prevent fraud.

• Fewer fraud cases mean sellers can spend less time handling disputes and more time focusing on growth.
   

Payment Methods Malaysian E-Commerce Sellers Should Consider

To make the most of the sales boost that comes from adding payment options, Malaysian sellers should focus on methods that match both local consumer habits and regional growth trends in Southeast Asia. Here are the top three to prioritise:

1. Mobile Wallets

Mobile wallets are becoming a primary choice for millions of Southeast Asian consumers.

• Adoption in SEA is expected to grow by over 100 million users between 2023 and 2028, at a CAGR of 7.4%.

• In Malaysia, popular e-wallets include Touch ’n Go eWallet, GrabPay, and ShopeePay.

• Offering these options caters to shoppers who prefer cashless payments but may not want to use credit or debit cards online.

For sellers, accepting mobile wallets also opens the door to platform-specific promotions like cashback campaigns, which can further drive conversions.
 

2. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL)

BNPL is one of the fastest-growing payment methods in Southeast Asia, with usage forecast to rise 15.2% from 2023 to 2028.

• In Malaysia, BNPL options such as Atome, hoolah, and Grab PayLater are attracting both younger shoppers and those without access to traditional credit cards.

• BNPL allows customers to split payments into smaller instalments, making higher-value items more affordable and encouraging larger basket sizes.

• This is especially relevant for the country’s large unbanked and uncarded population, giving them a flexible way to shop online without upfront full payment.
   

 

3. Real-Time Payments (RTP)

RTP is quickly gaining traction across Southeast Asia, largely thanks to government efforts to reduce cash reliance and promote fast, low-cost digital transactions.

• In Malaysia, DuitNow is the standout example. It enables instant bank-to-bank transfers using just a phone number or ID, with minimal or no fees.

• For sellers, RTP offers two big advantages: faster access to funds and lower transaction costs compared to some card payments.

By integrating RTP, sellers can also tap into customers who prefer the speed and familiarity of bank transfers over cards or wallets.

Here’s your next step: Top 5 Best Payment Gateways for Webstores in Malaysia (2025) where we compare features, fees, and integrations so you can start supporting more payment methods today.

Turn Your Payments into a Clear Picture of Your Business

You’ve done the hard part, got the right payment methods so customers actually click “Pay Now” instead of disappearing. But if you’re still juggling spreadsheets, bank statements, and random notes to figure out where your money went… you’re spending more time chasing numbers than chasing new customers.

With BigSeller, you can reconcile payments in one place, see exactly which stores or SKUs are driving profits, and sync everything directly to accounting software like SQL Account or Accurate. No more guessing whether last month’s big sales actually made you money, you’ll see it in black and white.

Want to see how much easier it can be? Try BigSeller for free today and claim your 7-day VIP trial coupon.

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