Malaysians aged 30 and below made RM5.4 billion in buy now, pay later purchases

Malaysians aged 30 and below made 65.9 million buy now, pay later (BNPL) transactions worth RM5.4 billion in the first half of 2026, according to Finance Ministry figures reported on October 14. That was 37.9% of the country's 173.9 million BNPL transactions and 36.7% of their RM14.7 billion value.

Outstanding BNPL financing among younger consumers

The ministry put the outstanding BNPL financing balance for younger consumers at RM2.4 billion as of June 30, including RM96.8 million, or 4%, described as unpaid by The Straits Times. Malay Mail called the RM96.8 million non-performing financing; the reports do not establish whether those terms refer to the same classification.

Affordability checks and disputed transactions

The ministry said providers must assess consumers' creditworthiness and affordability, including existing credit commitments, under the Consumer Credit Act 2025 and standards issued by the Consumer Credit Commission.

For disputed unauthorised transactions, providers are not required to automatically suspend collections during an investigation, the ministry said. It said they must handle complaints fairly, transparently and promptly, and cited identity checks and an account-freezing ‘kill switch’ among security controls.