Curlec
Malaysia's leading direct debit and recurring payments SaaS for subscription and installment businesses
Curlec is a Malaysia-built recurring payments and direct debit SaaS best for Malaysian gyms, SaaS subscriptions, and insurance agents collecting monthly bank-account billing without relying on cards. Its edge is direct debit mandates from Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, and RHB - cheaper than card interchange and far more reliable for long-term subscriptions in a country where bank-account penetration outpaces credit-card penetration. However, it is Malaysia-only and lacks a free tier for piloting.
- ✓Direct debit mandates from all major Malaysian banks - Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, RHB
- ✓No card interchange means cheaper recurring billing than Stripe or iPay88 for long-term subscriptions
- ✓Razorpay-backed engineering since acquisition while keeping local banking relationships intact
- ✓Smart retry logic for failed debits - matters for gyms and SaaS losing revenue to silent churn
- ×Malaysia-only - no value for Singapore, Thailand, or Indonesia recurring billing
- ×No free tier - transaction fees start from the first mandate
- ×Direct debit setup is heavier than card-on-file - longer customer onboarding
- ×Smaller integration ecosystem than Stripe Billing for global SaaS
About Curlec
Curlec is a Kuala Lumpur-based SaaS platform that enables Malaysian businesses to collect recurring payments via direct debit from bank accounts, without relying on card networks. Now operating as Razorpay's Malaysia entity after a strategic acquisition, Curlec retains its own brand and local team. It's the go-to solution for gyms, software companies, insurance providers, and installment-based retailers in Malaysia that need reliable, low-cost monthly billing from customers' bank accounts.
Key Features
Best For
We verify pricing and features via official vendor documentation and live platform audits. Software-listing.com is independent and may earn affiliate commissions from some links.
Related Analysis & Guides
The questions operators actually ask.
Is Curlec cheaper than Stripe for Malaysian subscriptions?
Yes for most use cases. Direct debit skips card interchange fees, which means Curlec is meaningfully cheaper per transaction than Stripe or iPay88 card billing - especially for long-term monthly subscriptions where small fees compound.
Does Curlec work for Singapore businesses?
No, Curlec is Malaysia-only. For Singapore direct debit, look at GIRO-based providers; for cross-SEA recurring, consider Stripe Billing or local equivalents in each market.
Did the Razorpay acquisition change Curlec?
It depends what you care about. The brand, local team, and Malaysian banking relationships remain intact - that is the real moat. Engineering resources improved post-acquisition, but Malaysian customers transact with Curlec as before.
Is Curlec good for SaaS subscription billing?
Yes for Malaysian SaaS with mostly Malaysian customers. Direct debit reduces failed-payment churn versus credit card billing, and the FPX fallback handles customers without direct debit setup. Cross-border SaaS still needs Stripe or Paddle.