Shopify Payment Options Explained: FPX, Credit Card & E-Wallets

You’ve launched your Shopify store, and your products are ready for the Malaysian market. Now comes the most critical part of a sale: the checkout. The payment options you offer at this final step can be the difference between a completed purchase and an abandoned cart.

In Malaysia, customers have clear and diverse payment preferences. A one-size-fits-all approach is no longer effective. To maximize your sales, you need to offer a strategic mix of the payment methods that local shoppers know, trust, and use every day. The three most essential categories are FPX, credit/debit cards, and e-wallets.

This guide will explain each of these core payment options, why they are important for your Shopify store, and how you can easily offer all of them through a single, unified payment gateway.

Key Takeaways

  • A Multi-Method Strategy is Crucial: Offering a mix of FPX, cards, and e-wallets is the key to maximizing conversions on a Malaysian Shopify store.
  • FPX is Non-Negotiable: As the most trusted online payment method in Malaysia, offering FPX is essential for building customer confidence and capturing the largest segment of online shoppers.
  • Credit Cards are for Wider Reach: Accepting credit and debit cards is vital for catering to international customers, enabling recurring subscriptions, and serving customers who prefer card-based rewards.
  • E-Wallets Capture the Mobile Shopper: Integrating popular e-wallets like TNG eWallet and GrabPay is critical for providing a fast, seamless experience for Malaysia’s growing number of mobile-first consumers.
  • A Unified Gateway Simplifies Everything: The most effective way to offer all these options is through a single payment gateway like Razorpay Curlec, which unifies them in one checkout and simplifies your financial management.

1. FPX (Financial Process Exchange): The Foundation of Trust

For Malaysian e-commerce, FPX is the undisputed king. It is a secure payment method that allows customers to pay for online purchases by logging into their existing retail or corporate bank accounts.

  • How it Works on Shopify: At your checkout, the customer selects the FPX option and chooses their bank (e.g., Maybank2u, CIMB Clicks). They are then securely redirected to their bank’s official login portal to approve the transaction. At no point are their sensitive banking details exposed to your website.
  • Why You Must Offer It:
  • Unmatched Customer Trust: Malaysians have immense trust in their banking system. The redirect to a familiar bank portal gives them the confidence to complete purchases, especially high-value ones.
  • Low Transaction Costs: FPX fees are typically much lower than the percentage-based fees for credit cards, which protects your profit margins.
  • Reduced Chargeback Risk: The strong, bank-level authentication (login + TAC) virtually eliminates the risk of fraudulent chargebacks.

2. Credit & Debit Cards: The Global Standard

While FPX dominates local online banking, credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard) remain a vital payment option for any serious e-commerce business.

  • How it Works on Shopify: Your payment gateway provides a secure, PCI DSS compliant form directly on your checkout page where customers can enter their card details. The transaction is processed securely in seconds.
  • Why You Should Offer It:
  • International Sales: If you plan to sell to customers outside Malaysia, accepting credit cards is essential.
  • Recurring Payments/Subscriptions: Cards are the primary method for enabling automated recurring billing for subscription-based products.
  • Customer Preference: Many customers prefer using cards to collect rewards points or for the convenience of saved card details.

3. E-Wallets: The Choice for Speed and Mobile Convenience

The use of e-wallets (or mobile wallets) like Touch ‘n Go eWallet, GrabPay, and Boost has exploded in Malaysia, especially among a younger, mobile-first demographic.

  • How it Works on Shopify: When a customer chooses to pay with an e-wallet, they can either scan a DuitNow QR code on their desktop screen or are automatically redirected to the wallet app on their phone to approve the payment with a PIN or biometrics.
  • Why You Should Offer It:
  • Capture the Mobile Market: For customers shopping on their smartphones, paying with an e-wallet is often the fastest and easiest option, reducing cart abandonment.
  • Access to a Large User Base: Popular e-wallets have millions of active users who are often incentivized to pay through them via rewards and promotions.
  • Fast and Secure: Transactions are authenticated within the secure environment of the wallet app.

Did You Know?

According to a recent consumer survey, over 80% of Malaysian digital consumers use e-wallets for their daily transactions. For an online business, not offering e-wallets at checkout means you could be ignoring the preferred payment method of a huge segment of your potential customers.

How to Offer All These Options on Your Shopify Store

Managing separate integrations for FPX, cards, and multiple e-wallets would be a technical and administrative nightmare. The solution is a single, unified payment gateway.

A modern payment gateway like Razorpay Curlec provides a dedicated Shopify app that consolidates all these payment methods into one seamless checkout experience.

  • One Simple Integration: Install one Shopify app to instantly enable FPX, cards, DuitNow QR, and all major e-wallets.
  • A Single Dashboard: Track and manage all your payments from every method in one central location.
  • Automated Reconciliation: Receive one consolidated settlement report for all your sales, drastically simplifying your accounting and saving you hours of manual work.

Ready to Optimise Your Shopify Checkout for Malaysian Customers?

Give your customers the payment options they prefer and watch your conversion rates grow. A unified gateway makes it easy.

Learn how Razorpay Curlec‘s Shopify Payment Gateway can work for you.

Conclusion

The most successful Shopify stores in Malaysia understand that a seamless checkout is just as important as a great product. By offering a strategic mix of FPX for trust, credit cards for global reach, and e-wallets for mobile convenience, you cater to the entire spectrum of customer preferences. A unified payment gateway is the essential tool that makes this sophisticated strategy simple to implement, empowering you to build trust, reduce friction, and grow your online business.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Malaysian Shopify Merchants

Which payment option is the most important for a new store in Malaysia?

Without a doubt, FPX. It is the most popular and trusted online payment method in the country. A new store must offer FPX to build credibility and capture the largest possible audience from day one.

What is the difference between DuitNow QR and E-Wallets at checkout?

DuitNow QR is the national standard that allows customers to pay from either their mobile banking app or a variety of e-wallet apps by scanning the same QR code. Offering a DuitNow QR option at checkout is a great way to accept payments from multiple e-wallets at once.

How do the fees differ for FPX, cards, and e-wallets?

Generally, FPX has the lowest transaction cost as it’s a direct bank transfer. Credit cards have the highest fees due to the interchange system. E-wallets typically fall somewhere in between. A good payment gateway will provide a clear breakdown of the fees for each method.

Can I set up recurring payments on Shopify with these methods?

Credit and debit cards are the primary method for setting up automated recurring payments for subscriptions. While some e-wallets are starting to support this, cards remain the most reliable option. FPX and DuitNow QR are designed for one-time transactions and are not suitable for automated recurring billing.