Tax Refund Malaysia for Tourists: What You Need to Know
Looking for a Malaysia tax refund? Find out whether tourists can claim tax back, what happened to GST refunds and how SST works.
YouTrip¹ and Wise both let you hold foreign currencies, spend and withdraw cash while travelling. YouTrip focuses on holiday spending features, while Wise offers a broader suite of tools for holding, spending, sending and receiving a range of currencies.
The catch? Malaysian residents can’t use YouTrip. However, eligible Malaysians who legally reside in Singapore may apply for the Singapore product. In this guide, we’ve used YouTrip Singapore as the source for feature and fee information. Also, YouTrip is hoping to roll out services in Malaysia soon.
For now, let’s compare YouTrip vs Wise so you can decide whether either one suits your needs. We'll also introduce the Wise account, a handy companion to make your money go further with low, transparent fees.
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Let’s start with a quick Wise vs YouTrip comparison of their features and key fees:
| Feature | YouTrip | Wise |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Add money in SGD and convert it to any of 12 supported currencies for spending | Add money in MYR or foreign currencies, then hold, convert, send and spend |
| Who can apply | Residents of Singapore | Residents of Malaysia, Singapore and many other countries |
| Overseas spending | Spend in 150+ countries | Spend in 150+ countries |
| Currencies you can hold | 12 | 40+ |
| Exchange rate | Wholesale rates² | Mid-market exchange rate |
| Currency conversion fees | No FX fee³ | Conversion from 0.25% |
| Overseas ATM withdrawals | No fee for up to 400 SGD monthly (about 1,270 MYR), then 2% | No fee for 1,000 MYR monthly withdrawals, up to 1,000 MYR*, then 5 MYR + 1.75% |
| Card fee | No fee for the first card | 13.70 MYR order fee |
| Annual / monthly fee | No annual or monthly fee | No annual or monthly fee |
| Adding money | Add money with PayNow or cards | Add money from your bank or by card, including foreign currency top-ups |
| Mobile wallet support | Apple Pay and Google Pay available | Apple Pay and Google Pay available |
| Sending and receiving money | International payments to banks in select countries are available | Domestic and international payments to Wise, bank accounts and mobile money accounts are supported |
| Best for | Eligible customers looking to earn cash back or access promotions and perks | Customers looking for broad multi-currency features and ways to receive foreign currencies |
Details correct at time of research – 27th August 2026. Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up-to-date pricing and fee information.
*Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.
YouTrip is primarily a prepaid multi-currency travel wallet for customers living in Singapore, Thailand or Australia. Wise, by contrast, combines a multi-currency account with a debit card and international payment features.
For eligible customers, that can make YouTrip a good choice for uncomplicated holiday spending. Wise, however, offers more international features, including additional supported currencies, ways to send money abroad and options to receive payments through local account details. That may make Wise the better fit if you want an all-in-one solution for overseas spending.
YouTrip and Wise take slightly different approaches to exchange rates.
Both let you convert currencies before you spend, if you prefer, or convert them at the point of purchase or withdrawal.
YouTrip uses the wholesale exchange rate for in-app conversions and the Mastercard exchange rate when you spend in unsupported currencies. It does not add an FX conversion fee or markup.
Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate and charges a variable conversion fee, which is shown before the transaction. In Malaysia, Wise conversion fees start at 0.25%. Once you hold the currency you need in your Wise account, there’s no fee to spend it. If you leave the conversion until the point of payment, the Wise card will convert from whichever of your balances attracts the lowest possible fee.
Looking to check the mid-market rate? Take a look below:
If you’re comparing the YouTrip card vs Wise card on benefits, look at each card’s supported features, reward opportunities and fee-free ATM options. Here’s a quick summary of what each card offers:
For YouTrip:
- 12 supported wallet currencies, with spending in 150+ countries
- No YouTrip ATM fee for withdrawals up to 400 SGD/month
- Send money to banks in 40+ countries
- Wholesale or network exchange rates with no foreign transaction fee
- Cash back and offers on a rotating basis
For Wise:
- 40+ supported wallet currencies, with spending in 150+ countries
- No Wise ATM fee for 1,000 MYR withdrawals, up to 1,000 MYR/month
- Send money to banks in 140+ countries
- Mid-market exchange rate with low, variable conversion fees
- Available to Malaysian residents, as well as residents of Singapore and many other countries
If you’re eligible for a YouTrip Singapore account, you can make overseas withdrawals with no YouTrip fee up to 400 SGD monthly (about 1,270 MYR). After that, a fee of 2% of the amount withdrawn applies.
Wise charges no fee for 1,000 MYR monthly withdrawals, locally or overseas, up to a total value of 1,000 MYR*. After that, you’ll pay 5 MYR + 1.75% for each withdrawal.
*Wise will not charge you for these withdrawals, but some additional charges may occur from independent ATM networks.
No. At the time of research (27th August 2026), YouTrip is not available to customers living in Malaysia.
That means you can only get a YouTrip card if you live in an eligible country, such as Singapore, Australia or Thailand.
YouTrip Malaysia is scheduled to launch at some point in the future as the service expands. You can add your name to the waitlist to be one of the first to find out how to use YouTrip in Malaysia when it launches.
Nationality is not an eligibility criterion for the YouTrip card. Instead, you must be a resident of one of the supported countries to apply.
For example, if you’re a Malaysian living in Singapore, you may be eligible to apply for a YouTrip card based on your residency.
If you’re eligible for both the Wise and YouTrip cards, you’ll need to weigh up which works best for you.
YouTrip is a sleek solution for travel spending, but its currency support is fairly limited.
If you’re looking for an app and card with more features, Wise might appeal. It offers broad currency support, along with extras such as ways to receive incoming payments using local account information in 8+ currencies.
| Advantages | Limitations | |
|---|---|---|
| YouTrip | ||
| Wise Card |
- Choose YouTrip if: You want a simple tool for travel spending in major tourist markets.
- Choose Wise if: You want an all-in-one solution for travel spending, overseas bills, receiving income from abroad and conveniently holding a broad range of currencies.

The Wise card lets you spend in 40+ currencies at the mid-market rate including CNY, JPY, GBP, and SGD so you know you'll be getting a great deal in over 150+ countries. Simply create a free Wise account, order a card and top-up MYR to get started.
Virtual cards are free and can be added to your Google or Apple Pay wallet, while a physical Wise card can be ordered for a low fee of 13.70 MYR. Having a physical Wise card allows you to make chip and pin payments, as well as two free ATM withdrawals to the value of 1,000 MYR each month, before low fees start.
While abroad, you can choose to spend with directly in MYR and let auto-conversion do the trick, or convert to your desired currency with your Wise account. Either way, you’ll get the exchange rate you see on Google, with low, transparent fees from 0.25%.
You cannot apply for YouTrip if you’re a Malaysian resident. However, if you’re a Malaysian living in Singapore, you might choose to sign up for YouTrip Singapore and then use your card for easy spending in Malaysia and elsewhere.
In the YouTrip app, go to the card tab and tap the Add to Apple Wallet button to add your preferred card to your mobile wallet automatically.
No. At the time of research (27th August 2026), you cannot use Samsung Pay with YouTrip.
You can top up your YouTrip account through the YouTrip app and pay with PayNow, bank transfer or card.
*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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