Kuala lumpur: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has launched RENTAS+, an enhancement to Real-time Electronic Transfer of Funds and Securities to enable continuous interbank funds transfer and settlement 24/7, 365 days a year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the expansion of RENTAS’ settlement window allows financial institutions to better manage credit and settlement risks that arise from the rapidly growing retail instant payments through continuous settlement of retail payment transactions. Previously, retail payments were settled twice a day on a deferred net basis, which carried inherent credit and settlement risks due to credit exposures between banks being settled only twice daily.

These risks are significantly reduced with the introduction of RENTAS+, as DuitNow transactions, which include fund transfers, QR payments, and e-commerce payments, are now settled on a gross basis. Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet) transmits DuitNow transactions to RENTAS+ for settlement immediately after each customer transac
tion is completed.

To support round-the-clock settlement, BNM has also introduced a 24/7 automatic liquidity facility using repurchase agreements (repo) and sell and buy back agreements (SBBA). The central bank noted that since 2024, the daily retail payment transaction volume and value have increased by 49 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

BNM Governor Datuk Seri Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour stated that RENTAS+ enhances the resilience of Malaysia’s financial market infrastructure, providing a secure, scalable, and flexible settlement platform for future innovations. He emphasized BNM’s commitment to positioning RENTAS as a catalyst and enabler for innovation in financial markets.