CIMB Octo now supports QR payments in China, HK, South Korea, Laos and the Philippines

Good news for CIMB Octo App users. Recently, CIMB announced that you can make QR payments with participating Alipay+ merchants in five new countries. 

The new locations added are China, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and Laos. This is an expansion to Octo’s existing cross-border QR payment coverage in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand.

Conveniently, the new feature allows you to make payments without downloading another payment app or creating a separate Alipay+ account.

How to use QR payment with Alipay+?

This feature is enabled through the Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“PayNet”)’s DuitNow QR payment connectivity with Alipay+. 

To access the DuitNow QR payment function on Octo,  you can scan the participating merchants’ QR codes displaying the Alipay+ logo, review and confirm transactions directly within the app. 

Alipay+ coverage covers 150 million merchants in over 220 markets

This expansion builds on PayNet’s collaboration with Ant International through Alipay+. CIMB claims this collaboration has connected over two billion user accounts across over 50 international payment partners.

Additionally, the network supports payments at more than 150 million merchants across over 220 markets.

On the other hand, the service also complements existing inbound QR payment capabilities. That means, supported Alipay+ partner wallets users can make payments at DuitNow QR merchants in Malaysia. 

CIMB to expand cross-border QR acceptance overseas

According to CIMB, Octo has recorded over 500,000 cross-border DuitNow QR transactions as of September 2026. That is an increase of over 150% year-on-year.

The bank plans to further improve the app’s cross-border payment capabilities, user experience and coverage to additional markets in the future.

In line with CIMB’s Forward30 strategy, the banking company expresses its aim in making daily transactions or everyday banking more convenient for their customers. Haniz Nazlan, Chief Executive Officer, Group Consumer Banking, CIMB, said, 

“As our customers become increasingly connected and mobile, they expect banking to move seamlessly with them, including across borders. In line with our Forward30 strategy, our focus is on making everyday banking simpler, better and faster, wherever our customers are. 

He also mentions that expanding Octo’s DuitNow QR payment to more foreign countries is a nod toward CIMB’s ambition of providing customers with greater convenience and flexibility abroad.

“Expanding Octo’s DuitNow QR payment capabilities to more overseas destinations is another step towards that ambition, giving customers greater convenience and flexibility when they travel.”

“Together with CIMB TravelCurrency and travel insurance on Octo, this strengthens our broader travel proposition designed to support our customers’ needs wherever their journeys take them”, he said.