HitPay equips Malaysian SMEs for AI-powered shopping era with free AI-ready online stores
PETALING JAYA: Southeast Asian SME payments platform HitPay has unveiled a new initiative aimed at helping Malaysian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remain competitive in the rapidly evolving AI-driven retail landscape, where shopping assistants powered by artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing consumer purchasing decisions.
The company warned that many local businesses risk becoming virtually invisible in the next generation of digital commerce if their online stores are unable to be discovered by AI-powered shopping platforms.
To address the challenge, HitPay announced that every HitPay Online Store in Malaysia will automatically become discoverable by AI assistants at no additional cost, enabling SMEs to compete more effectively with larger corporations that typically possess greater technological resources.
The new capability is designed to improve the visibility of small businesses in AI-generated shopping recommendations, helping level the playing field as AI increasingly shapes how consumers search for and purchase products online.
HitPay co-founder and chief executive officer Aditya Haripurkar said Malaysia has already established a strong digital foundation through widespread internet connectivity and the nationwide adoption of DuitNow, creating favourable conditions for the next phase of digital commerce.
However, he noted that many smaller businesses still lack the technical infrastructure needed for AI systems to interpret and recommend their products, a process that traditionally required specialised software development expertise and significant financial investment.
HitPay’s integrated solution eliminates that barrier by embedding AI-readable technology directly into merchants’ online stores, allowing product information to be indexed automatically without requiring additional technical work from business owners.
Haripurkar said the initiative ensures Malaysian SMEs can appear in AI-generated shopping recommendations from the moment they launch their online stores, rather than being overshadowed by larger retailers with more advanced digital capabilities.
According to the company, SMEs account for approximately 97 per cent of all registered businesses in Malaysia, yet a significant proportion of their online stores remain inaccessible to AI-powered search platforms such as ChatGPT and Perplexity because their websites are not structured in a machine-readable format.
The company noted that despite Malaysia recording internet penetration of nearly 98 per cent and DuitNow QR processing about three billion transactions in 2025, large corporations still accounted for around 63 per cent of total digital transformation spending last year.
Industry data further highlights the growing importance of AI in retail. Research by Bain & Company indicates that 39 per cent of consumers across the Asia-Pacific region already use AI while shopping online, with another 40 per cent expected to adopt the technology in the near future.
Meanwhile, consultancy firm McKinsey estimates that AI-enabled commerce could generate between US$3 trillion and US$5 trillion in global retail spending by 2030.
To help SMEs capitalise on this shift, HitPay’s platform now automatically publishes machine-readable product information—including product names, prices, stock availability and catalogue details—that is continuously updated throughout the day.
This enables AI shopping assistants to retrieve accurate, real-time information while signalling that participating merchants are ready to serve customers.
The new feature is fully integrated into the HitPay Online Store platform, which also supports a wide range of payment options including DuitNow QR, FPX, Touch ‘n Go eWallet and more than 50 other digital payment methods.
HitPay said the initiative complements Malaysia’s broader digital economy agenda, including the government’s AI Nation 2030 aspirations and ongoing efforts to accelerate digital adoption among SMEs through targeted digitalisation initiatives and support programmes.
