HLB's strategic partnership unlocks new possibilities in cross-border banking, connecting customers to established global payment networks and building a foundation to serve them across more markets

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Leong Bank ("HLB" or the "Bank") today marked its strategic partnership with UnionPay International ("UPI"), strengthening global cross-border payment connectivity for customers travelling, conducting business and pursuing opportunities beyond Malaysia. In line with the proposition of "Connecting Borders, Commerce, Ties, and Horizons", the partnership highlights how HLB and payment networks can enable seamless and secure overseas payments and support closer connections between people and businesses across markets.

By leveraging UPI's integrated network with Weixin Pay, the collaboration enables HLB customers to transact effortlessly at over 120 million merchants across Mainland China, as well as participating merchants in Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Thailand. Whether shopping at department stores or dining at everyday local stalls, customers can pay directly via HLB QR Pay on HLB Connect. The feature natively complements HLB's existing multi-currency features on the HLB Pay&Save Account, allowing customers to lock-in favorable exchange rates and avoid the hassle of using third-party apps and wallet top-ups.

According to Kevin Lam, HLB's Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, "Our customers take us beyond Malaysia through the businesses they build, the family ties they maintain, and the opportunities they pursue. We want them to have the same confidence paying overseas as they do at home."

"At its core, a cross-border payment only works when trust exists on both sides of the transaction where customers know with certainty that their payment will go through, and merchants trust that they will receive it. Backed by over a century of heritage and innovation in cross-border payments in the community, our priority is ensuring that trust holds wherever our customers go. Partnering with UPI and tapping into their vast international network, including Weixin Pay, allows us to deliver that scale and certainty globally."

Carlson Li, Vice President of UPI, commented, "Our partnership with HLB demonstrates how interoperability can connect different payment ecosystems to deliver practical benefits for customers, where HLB customers can now access a wider merchant network directly from their banking app, making cross-border payments more convenient and supporting commerce between markets. We look forward to building on this partnership to extend payment accessibility, connect more customers and merchants, and create further opportunities for collaboration across the region."

Driven by rapid digital innovation, cross-border payments have expanded well beyond conventional cards and currency exchange, giving consumers more versatile, frictionless ways to transact internationally.

Underscoring the Bank's focus on customer-centric digital solutions, Andrew Jong, HLB's Managing Director of Personal Financial Services, said, "Digital innovation has fundamentally changed how people move and spend money abroad, unlocking greater convenience and flexibility than ever before. We recognise that customers have different payment preferences and needs when travelling across markets. Our focus is on ensuring our solutions remain relevant to those dynamic needs, giving customers true choice, security, and continuity wherever they go. This partnership with UPI is a key milestone in how we leverage innovations and ecosystem partners to expand our suite of cross-border payment capabilities."

HLB's broader cross-border payment offering gives customers multiple ways to pay overseas, including scanning participating merchant QR codes, displaying an in-app QR code for merchants to scan, linking eligible HLB cards to superapps in China like Weixin Pay, making direct credit and debit card payments, and using supported mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay.

The Bank will continue to build on its international collaborations to expand payment connectivity and support customers as their needs and ambitions grow across markets.

For more information, please visit: www.hlb.com.my/UnionPayQR