Guide to Touch 'n Go eWallet: Everything You Need to Know

Choosing which eWallet you want to commit to is no easy task. Which eWallet will be most useful for you? And which will give you the most rewards? 

Don’t worry, we’ve saved you the hassle of scouring the web. This guide summarises all the information you need to know about Touch ‘n Go eWallet as a user so you can make more informed eWallet decisions. 

A brief history of Touch ‘n Go eWallet

TNG has been pioneering the cashless front here in Malaysia for over two decades now. First as a mode of payment for toll and parking, to major public transportation, and now even for everyday purchases. 

The Touch ‘n Go card was first introduced to the public in March 1997 to be used on the Metramac (East-West Link) Expressway and PLUS Expressway. 

In 2017, Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd entered into the eWallet arena in a joint venture with Ant Financial, Alibaba’s mobile payment system to form TNG Digital Sdn Bhd.  This partnership was key in helping Touch ‘n Go leverage Alipay’s technology and platform to build an eWallet with a secure and convenient payment system. 

Wholly owned by CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, Touch 'n Go Sdn Bhd held a 51% stake while Ant Financial owned the remaining 49%. In recent founding rounds the Edge reported that AIA has taken minority stake in TNG Digital and valuing the e-wallet company at about RM3 billion.

To date, there are more than 15 million active Touch ‘n Go users in Malaysia. As more features are stitched onto the existing card and eWallet, Malaysians can expect TNG to further cement itself as a mainstay in our lives here on out.

Touch ‘n Go eWallet features

Mobility features

PayDirect

PayDirect enables you to pay seamlessly for toll and parking with your Touch ‘n Go card, but deducted directly from your eWallet rather than from the physical card balance. This eliminates the need to Tambah Nilai or top up your Touch ‘n Go card balance at physical locations, not to mention the risk of finding yourself with insufficient balance at the toll (yikes!). 

PayDirect can be used at all open-system (fixed amount) highways, but is yet to be implemented on certain closed-system (pay upon exit) highways. View which highways support PayDirect here.

You can pay for parking with PayDirect at these locations:

• Empire Shopping Gallery

• Republik Damansara Heights

• The Curve

• Gurney Paragon Mall

• Vortex KLCC

• Tempat Letak Kereta Awam, Kompleks C, Putrajaya

Activating PayDirect: 

To use PayDirect, you’ll need to activate it by linking your TNG card. This can be done simply through the app, limited to up to three cards.

Setting up Auto Reload:

If your eWallet balance is insufficient, the fares will be deducted from your physical card balance instead. To mitigate this, you can set up the handy Auto Reload function for peace of mind. With this function, you can customise the top up and threshold amount, which will automatically reload once your TNG eWallet balance dips below your specified threshold amount.

RFID

While many Malaysians have yet to embrace Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the toll payment option proposes an even more convenient alternative compared to PayDirect. Similarly, toll fares are deducted from the TNG eWallet balance. 

Did you know you can soon pay for your petrol with RFID? Exciting plans are underway to broaden RFID’s horizons to include parking and petrol. 

Just recently on the 13th of July, Touch ‘n Go in collaboration with Shell Malaysia kickstarted the TNG RFID Fuelling pilot programme, enabling drivers to pay for their petrol with RFID. The dawn of cashless is truly upon us.

TNG RFID tags can be bought from the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app itself, and are priced at RM35 each. 

#JOMTEKSI

Thanks to #JOMTEKSI, passengers on select taxis can pay for their fares with the Touch ‘n Go eWallet. This was brought about by a partnership between TNG Digital Sdn Bhd, EzCab, and Public Cab. 

Most importantly, the low-cost, hassle-free nature of #JOMTEKSI empowers taxi drivers to hop on the cashless wave going forward. 

#JOMTEKSI cabs are available at:

• D’Pulze

• Lim Kok Wing University

• Putrajaya Sentral

• Shaftsbury Square

• Tamarind Square

Street parking

Malaysians can also use their Touch ‘n Go eWallet to pay for public street parking. Gone are the days of scrounging for loose change and looking for the parking machine. 

Through the eWallet app, you’ll also receive a reminder 15 minutes before your time limit, and be able to extend your parking time through the app itself. Touch ‘n Go street parking is supported by the areas below.

• Seremban

• Shah Alam

• Petaling Jaya

• Kuala Lumpur

• Subang

• Putrajaya

• Kuala Langat

• Kelantan

• Kuala Terengganu

• Machang

Touch'n Go eWallet Financial services

1. GO+ 

GO+ is an investment feature in the TNG eWallet app which allows you to potentially earn returns on the balance in your GO+ account. The GO+ account is separate from your main eWallet account, and is invested in Principal e-Cash, a money market fund managed by Principal Asset Management Berhad. 

While the ROI is not as attractive as say, robo-advisors for example, GO+ is a great way to put your money to work while it’s already sitting in your TNG eWallet. Read more on GO+ here.

2. CarInsure

Yes, you can even buy car insurance through the Touch ‘n Go eWallet! Rolled out just recently in July 2021, CarInsure is a feature which enables users to renew road tax and buy car insurance from either Allianz or MSIG. 

You can compare instant quotations from Allianz or MSIG directly on the app itself, and even enjoy FREE RM50,000 personal accident coverage exclusive to CarInsure. Find out more about CarInsure here.

Touch ‘n Go eWallet lifestyle features

1. Bill payments and zakat

Most major Malaysian eWallets have supported utility and bill payments for some time now, though many users have yet to embrace it. Supported utility sectors include water, electricity, broadband, council payments, insurance and loans such as PTPTN. 

Read more on how to pay your utility bills and zakat with Touch ‘n Go eWallet.

2. Donation

TNG also makes it easy to donate to a cause that’s close to your heart. Simply go to the TNG Digital site here and choose an organisation that matters most to you, whether that’s an NGO, temple, mosque or church. The website will display the QR code for you to scan and make a donation of any size you wish. 

3. Peer-to-peer money transfer

Want to send your parents digital duit raya? Or surprise your friend with a little gift? 

With Touch ‘n Go eWallet’s Transfer feature, you can send cash from your eWallet directly into theirs (free of charge!) – all you need is their mobile number. Note that the recipient must have completed his or her account verification process. 

Touch ‘n Go eWallet deals and promotions

Unlike Grab and Boost, Touch ‘n Go doesn’t draw you in with reward points. Instead, they have a slew of promotions exclusively for TNG eWallet users. As some deals expire, new ones take their place to ensure an ever-changing list of fresh deals. 

It can be difficult to keep track of these time-sensitive deals as they come and go, so you can use our handy Touch ‘n Go eWallet deals page here!

Touch ‘n Go eWallet merchants

Touch ‘n Go eWallet supports payments at over 360,000 merchants nationwide, including Apple and Google Services. TNG is currently the only eWallet in Malaysia which can be used to pay for Apple and Google Services. View TNG’s full merchant listing here.

Cross-Border Payment Service

You can even make payments abroad! Thanks to their partnership with Alipay, TNG eWallet can be used at approved Alipay+ merchants in Japan and Singapore, with plans to roll out this feature in other countries soon. 

When abroad, you’ll know which Alipay+ merchants accept TNG eWallet if both logos are displayed on the sticker at the counter. The picture below is obtained from Touch ‘n Go’s FAQ.

The exchange rate follows the best rate as determined by Alipay+ and can be viewed in the app. To make a payment with your Touch ‘n Go eWallet abroad, choose the “Pay” function, then tap on “Swipe up to pay abroad via Alipay+”. 

Touch ‘n Go eWallet safety and security

All eWallets in Malaysia require users to complete an eKYC (Electronic Know Your Customer) Account Verification as regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia policies. For TNG, users who have not completed this process are limited to an eWallet size of RM200.

What we really like about the Touch ‘n Go app is the 6-digit pin required to perform all transactions. This adds another layer of safety ensuring that even if your phone is stolen and hacked into, no one else can perform transactions with your TNG eWallet. 

Unique to Touch ‘n Go is their Money-back Guarantee Policy. This policy promises that in the event of an unauthorised transaction or reload with your TNG eWallet, TNG wil provide full compensation within five working days. 

Like most eWallets, TNG also leverages Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and a dedicated risk team to ensure the safety and security of your money and personal data when using the app.

Related: Is My Money Safe When I Use eWallets?

Touch ‘n Go eWallet fees and charges

Find out more about TNG eWallet fees.

Touch ‘n Go eWallet limitations

• Money in the eWallet cannot be withdrawn or transferred to your bank account. However, you can cash out from your GO+ account.

• No reward points, only deals and promotions

• Limited to overseas use at approved Alipay+ merchants in Japan and Singapore only (at the time of writing)

• Subject to Monthly Transaction Limit of RM5,000 (excluding PayDirect and RFID)

• Subject to Annual Transaction Limit of RM60,000 (including PayDirect and RFID)

• Users with RM200 eWallet size (have not completed eKYC Account Verification) are not allowed to transfer money

Final thoughts: How does Touch ‘n Go eWallet fare in Malaysia’s eWallet scene?

In our Best eWallet in Malaysia for 2020 Survey last year, the results were pretty clear. Touch ‘n Go eWallet is the firm favourite for Malaysians overall, with more than half (55%) voting for it as the eWallet they thought was best.

Since that survey, TNG has more than doubled their number of merchants, as well as rolled out plenty of new features such as CarInsure and GO+ – two features that other eWallets in Malaysia don’t have at the moment (although Grab and Boost do have other insurance products).

TNG is also the only eWallet which can be used to pay for Apple and Google services. And perhaps most importantly, we all have a common use for this eWallet which is exclusive to TNG and TNG only – toll payments. 

Check out our Ultimate eWallet Guide in Malaysia to find out more about how Touch ‘n Go eWallet fares against other competitors!