The Ministry of Finance (MOF) has denied a viral claim that quick response (QR) code payments will be subject to a new service charge starting next month. In a post on its official Facebook page, the ministry asserted that the claim is false and that no such charge has been officially announced.
The post comes as a response to a poster widely circulating on social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Threads. This poster, which sported a “Vyra News” logo and presented itself as a news update, declared that a service charge for QR code payments will be introduced on 1 November 2026.
Through its Facebook post, MOF also advised the public not to believe or share the poster. The ministry also urged Malaysians to always verify information through its official channels before sharing it so as to avoid the spread of fake news, which could confuse the public.
Of course, double-checking the source of any bit of news is a good practice in general, particularly in an age where misinformation is so widespread. But fact-checking is especially important when it concerns what appears to be a major change. In this case, the dissemination of false information could cause unease among the public, particularly given the ubiquity of QR payments across the nation.
In any case, PayNet, which operates the DuitNow QR network, states that QR payments for consumers are free. This means that there are no additional charges for customers paying via QR code. On the other hand, merchants may incur a merchant discount rate (MDR), which is based on each transaction. Worth noting that this is a separate fee that has been in place for several years now, and has nothing to do with the fake claim in the poster.
(Source: Ministry of Finance via Facebook)
