Opening a laundromat in Malaysia: how to set up QR payment

To set up QR payment for a new laundromat in Malaysia, choose the payment setup before buying machines and check that every washer and dryer can take it. Then plan the internet connection, agree where the takings are paid and how failed payments are refunded, and test each machine with a real payment before opening. Byte Bunny Technology fits an IoT device into coin and token washers and dryers so they accept DuitNow QR.

This guide is for anyone opening a self-service laundromat (dobi layan diri) in Malaysia who wants customers to pay the washers and dryers by scanning a QR code. It covers the payment side only: the choices to make before buying machines, the setup steps before opening day, and what customers and the owner see once the shop runs. Premises, licences and machine supply are separate decisions. It is written by Byte Bunny Technology Sdn Bhd of Petaling Jaya, which is backed by a team with more than 10 years of experience in the e-wallet automation industry. The wider picture is in Byte Bunny's guide to cashless QR payment for coin and token laundromats.

What payment decisions come first when opening a laundromat in Malaysia?

Three payment decisions come before the machine order when opening a laundromat in Malaysia: how customers will pay (coins, tokens, QR or a mix), whether the machines will be QR-ready with their own payment system or coin or token machines fitted with one, and where the QR takings will be paid. Each answer changes which machines you buy and who you deal with, so settle them while the machine list is still a draft.

The market a new owner joins is still drawing newcomers. Alliance Laundry Systems, a maker of commercial washers and dryers, said in October 2025 that its partners support more than 2,600 laundromats across Malaysia, and its sales director for Asia-Pacific described who is opening them:

"Malaysia has a strong and growing SME sector, and the self-service laundry space continues to attract first-time investors and microbusiness owners."

Should I buy QR-ready machines or fit QR to coin or token machines?

Buy QR-ready machines if you want one supplier for both the machines and the payment, and their system takes DuitNow QR from customers' own banking and e-wallet apps. Fit QR to coin or token machines if you are buying second-hand or want a payment provider separate from the machine supplier. Both routes end with the customer scanning a QR code at the machine.

Byte Bunny Technology works on the second route. It installs an IoT device, a small internet-connected unit, into coin and token washers and dryers so each one can accept DuitNow QR; when a customer scans and pays, Byte Bunny's servers start the machine. Byte Bunny makes the same split in its own work: it says vending machines normally come with their own QR system, while laundromats, where coin and token machines need QR fitted, are its main focus.

Per-machine QR or one central payment kiosk?

Laundromat QR payment usually comes in one of two layouts. With per-machine QR, the customer scans the QR on the washer or dryer they are using, which is how Byte Bunny's how-to films show it. With a central payment kiosk, the customer picks a machine number on one screen and pays there. Before choosing a kiosk, ask what happens to every machine if the kiosk or the shop's internet line goes down, and whether customers queue at it at busy times.

Can second-hand coin or token machines take QR payment?

A second-hand coin or token washer or dryer can take DuitNow QR once a QR system is fitted, the same way as a machine already in a shop: Byte Bunny installs its IoT device into machines that owners already have. Before paying for a used machine, ask Byte Bunny whether it can fit that brand and model.

Have any fault on a used machine repaired before the QR system goes in. A washer with a faulty door lock, drain or heater will not run better on QR, and the upgrade should not take the blame for an old problem.

Why isn't the shop's own business DuitNow QR enough?

A shop's own business DuitNow QR, not linked to any machine, takes the customer's money but cannot start a washer or dryer. In PayNet's flow, the acquirer notifies the merchant that the payment succeeded, not the machine. What matters is not whether the QR is a sticker, but whether the payment reaches the machine that the customer is standing at.

At a Byte Bunny machine, the fitted device and the company's servers make that link. The full comparison of a plain business QR and a machine-linked QR is in the guide on whether coin or token laundromat machines can accept DuitNow QR.

How do I set up QR payment before opening day?

To set up QR payment before a new laundromat opens, work through eight steps in order: get the business paperwork ready, decide how much cash to accept, choose the QR provider before ordering machines, plan the internet connection, agree where the takings go and what it costs, agree how failed payments are refunded, test every machine with a real payment, and show customers how to pay. Each step is below.

1. Get the business paperwork ready. For a plain business DuitNow QR, merchants register with an acquirer; PayNet says businesses with valid Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) registration or trading licences are eligible.
2. Decide how much cash you will take. QR only, or QR alongside coins or tokens. Selling tokens also means a coin or token exchange machine, which Byte Bunny also works with.
3. Choose the QR provider before ordering machines. Send the brand and model of every washer and dryer you plan to buy, and ask which of them can take QR.
4. Plan the internet connection. At a Byte Bunny machine, its servers start the machine after the payment. PayNet reports more than 99.99% service availability for its own network in 2025; ask what connection the devices need and what happens to a payment if it drops.
5. Agree where the takings go and what it costs. Ask which account receives QR payments, how often they are paid out, and what the setup and running costs are. PayNet notes that DuitNow QR fees "vary by bank, eWallet, or acquirer", so get every cost in writing. For Byte Bunny merchants, see what Byte Bunny merchants pay in DuitNow QR transaction fees.
6. Agree how a failed start is handled. If a customer pays and the machine does not start, who refunds them, and how quickly? Put a contact number on every machine.
7. Test every machine with a real payment. Before opening, scan, pay and start each washer and dryer, then check that each payment shows in your sales records.
8. Show customers how to pay. Put the three payment steps at every machine; Byte Bunny's how-to films already explain them.

Steps 3 to 6 are the questions to put to Byte Bunny, or to any provider you compare, before you commit.

What will customers need to pay a washer or dryer by QR?

Customers need only a phone with an e-wallet or banking app. At a Byte Bunny washer or dryer, they open the app, open its scanner and scan the QR on the machine, then pay the machine's price, and the machine starts. Byte Bunny lists "no apps to download" among its customer benefits: customers use the e-wallet or banking app already on their phone, with no coins to find and no tokens to buy first.

1. Open your e-wallet or banking app. The Malay caption on the company's washer film reads "Buka apps e-wallet".
2. Open the scanner and scan the QR on the machine. In the film: "Buka scanner dan scan QR".
3. Pay the machine's price. In the film: "Bayar ikut harga mesin basuh". The machine then starts.

Byte Bunny's washer and dryer films show the steps with Malay captions, and its English-captioned Electrolux dryer film opens with "Open our Bank apps". Every step is on how QR payment works at a self-service machine.

In 2025, PayNet processed an average of 6.3 million more transactions a day than in 2024, and in Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah, non-urban transaction volumes tripled year on year, PayNet reported in April 2026.

What will I see and manage as the owner once the shop is open?

Once a shop runs on Byte Bunny's system, the owner can monitor cash sales and e-wallet sales, and machines can be remotely activated. Its benefits for owners also include reduced overhead costs, preventing break-ins and offering customers an alternative way to pay. Each QR payment is one less handful of coins to collect, count and bank. How owners run their machines day to day is on the Byte Bunny backend for self-service machine owners.

For comparison, with a plain business DuitNow QR, PayNet says merchants track sales and transaction history through their acquirer's merchant portal or app.

Should a new laundromat still accept coins or tokens?

A new laundromat that takes QR only keeps no cash in its machines and needs no token exchange machine. One that also takes coins or tokens serves customers who still bring cash, but brings back coin collection and, for tokens, an exchange machine to stock. Decide before opening, because the choice shapes the machine order; for a mix, ask whether each machine can take both.

QR acceptance is now normal for small businesses. Bank Negara Malaysia says a majority of registered DuitNow QR touchpoints are small businesses, "who also benefit from DuitNow QR's lower acceptance costs", in its Annual Report 2025.

Frequently asked questions

Every Byte Bunny guide is listed on Insights.

When should I contact a QR payment provider when opening a laundromat?

Contact a QR payment provider before you order the washers and dryers, while the machine list can still change. Send the brand and model of each machine and ask which can take QR, so that the machines, the internet connection and the customer's payment steps are planned together rather than fixed after delivery.

Do I need my own DuitNow QR merchant account?

For a plain business DuitNow QR, yes: PayNet says merchants register with an acquirer, a participating bank or e-wallet provider, and receive one DuitNow QR code that accepts payments from participating banks and e-wallets. For a machine-linked QR system, ask the provider which account receives the QR takings and how often they are paid out.

Can I open with coin machines and add QR payment later?

Yes. Byte Bunny Technology installs an IoT device into existing coin or token washers and dryers so they accept DuitNow QR, so a laundromat that opens on coins or tokens can add QR payment later. Ask Byte Bunny whether it can fit each machine's brand and model.

Does fitting a QR device affect a new machine's warranty?

Ask the machine supplier before any payment device is fitted to a new washer or dryer, and get the answer in writing. Warranty terms are set by each machine supplier, so the supplier, not the QR provider, is the one to confirm whether fitting a device changes them.

What happens if a customer pays and the machine does not start?

Agree the answer with your QR payment provider before opening: who refunds the customer, how quickly, and how the customer reaches you. Put a contact number on every machine, and test each washer and dryer with a real payment before the laundromat opens.

Sources

1. PayNet Support, "How do merchants onboard to DuitNow QR?": knowledgebase.paynet.my
2. PayNet, DuitNow QR for Your Business: paynet.my/business-solutions/duitnow-qr.html
3. PayNet Developer Portal, DuitNow QR, Merchant-Presented Domestic QR: docs.developer.paynet.my
4. PayNet, "8.44 Billion Transactions Processed in 2025 as Digital Payments Become Malaysians' Preferred Way to Pay", April 2026: paynet.my press release
5. Bank Negara Malaysia, Annual Report 2025, "Promoting Safe and Efficient Payment and Remittance Services": bnm.gov.my/publications/ar2025/ch1e
6. VSDaily, "Alliance Laundry Systems launches Stax-X in Malaysia to empower SME entrepreneurs and compact laundry operators", 13 October 2025: vsdaily.com
7. Byte Bunny Technology, how-to films: washer and dryer (YouTube, @ByteBunnyTech); Electrolux dryer (Facebook)