Shocking BigPay Blunder

Michelle Law thought she was being savvy when she swiped her BigPay card in Thailand in 2024 to lock in a good exchange rate.

Instead, a RM10.44 refund processed back in Malaysia triggered BigPay’s automated fraud engine, flagged her as a suspected “money mule,” and set off a nightmare domino effect.

Banks froze her savings accounts, rejected her credit-card and mortgage applications, and effectively erased her business’s access to credit, even after she supplied police reports and medical bills to prove her innocence.

For months, Law pleaded with BigPay’s customer-service chatbots, visited five police stations, and spent thousands on legal advice, only to be met with silence.

Desperate, she posted a tearful TikTok and an Instagram Reel that went viral—finally forcing BigPay to issue a public statement on 26 June 2025 claiming the tag had been lifted once the RM10.44 was regularised and that “all actions were in line with fraud-prevention protocols."

Law still hasn’t received an official clearance letter, leaving her effectively blacklisted by banks despite BigPay’s reassurance.

Michelle’s ordeal isn’t an isolated glitch. Reddit threads are littered with users whose accounts were suddenly suspended after funding brokerage wallets or transferring larger-than-usual sums, some waiting months to regain access.

BigPay’s own help-page confirms that a “blocked” status requires in-app chat, document re-uploads, and a manual review—steps that easily stall when volumes spike.

In 2023 another user complained on r/Malaysians that a routine DuitNow QR deposit to an investment platform froze his wallet for weeks despite providing invoices.

What Exactly Is BigPay?

BigPay is a Capital A (formerly AirAsia Group) fintech offshoot launched in 2018.

Source: BigPay

It combines a prepaid Visa card, domestic DuitNow QR, and remittance features inside one app. Users top-up with local credit cards, then spend overseas without the 2–3% FX mark-ups that traditional Malaysian credit cards levy.

BigPay boasted more than three million Malaysian users before the pandemic and remains among the top five e-wallet brands, though far behind Touch ’n Go eWallet and ShopeePay in monthly active usage.

Because it is a prepaid instrument, funds sit in pooled trust accounts ring-fenced under Bank Negara Malaysia’s e-money guidelines—safer than many people realise.

Yet the same guidelines compel BigPay to deploy aggressive anti-money-laundering (AML) screens. Any anomaly (multiple overseas refunds, sizeable third-party transfers, or patterns resembling mule activity) can lock an account without prior notice until manual checks finish.

The Decline of BigPay: Irrelevant for the Modern Miles Chaser

At Refined Points, our focus has always been on optimising miles—not fixating on DuitNow transactions or cashback mechanics.

That said, e-wallets can still play a meaningful role in a well-crafted airline miles strategy—particularly in the case of Touch ’n Go (TNG) eWallet.

Snippet from Alliance Bank Visa Infinite Review

When reloaded using credit cards that continue to award points, such as the Alliance Bank Visa Infinite, TNG eWallet offers an effective 0.5 miles per ringgit (MPR) after accounting for the 1% reload fee. Given TNG’s extensive integration into daily Malaysian life—from tolls to dining—it remains a practical tool to earn miles on everyday spend.

BigPay, on the other hand, offers no such value. The platform recently disabled credit card top-ups entirely, removing its only remaining avenue for indirect rewards accumulation.

And with no meaningful tie-ins to daily spend categories, it’s become hard to justify BigPay’s relevance—especially for serious mileage earners.

Worse yet, this comes amid internal turmoil, with a wave of senior leadership departures making the rounds on LinkedIn. Coupled with alarming compliance misfires like Michelle Law’s case, all signs point to BigPay’s sunsetting phase.

Simply put: it’s no longer a card for travellers, and barely even one for spenders.

Final Thoughts

Michelle Law’s ordeal isn’t just an unfortunate outlier—it’s a stark warning of the systemic risks that come with using platforms like BigPay, especially in today’s tightening regulatory climate.

With the removal of credit card top-ups, a weakening rewards proposition, and serious questions around governance and risk management, BigPay is quickly becoming obsolete in the context of a refined miles strategy.

In contrast, tools like TNG eWallet—when paired with the right credit card—still serve a meaningful role in bridging everyday transactions with mileage accumulation. But even then, caution is warranted, especially due to the fact that credit cards which DO offer points for E-Wallet reloads likely only have conversions to Enrich Miles, which as we know, is pretty much obsolete.

At Refined Points, we advocate for simpler and smarter strategies. Focus on cards that reward your spend, offer consistent value, and provide real human support when things go wrong. Because in the world of airline miles, one blocked transaction shouldn’t cost you your financial reputation.