A few years ago, I heard from a podcast that the best type of tech is the one that disappears into the background.

At first, it sounded like a throwaway line. But the more you think about it, the more it rings true. People don’t obsess over the tech itself anymore, they care about what it does, how seamlessly it works, and whether it makes life just a bit easier.

And nowhere is that more evident than in the way we pay.

Cash is no longer king. Convenience is. These days, many of us leave our homes with just a phone or a card, and that’s enough. In fact, a 2024 study by Visa found that more than 80% of Malaysian Gen Zs and Millennials prefer cashless options for everyday transactions.

The sight of someone scanning a QR code, tapping a phone, or waving a card is now as common as breathing air.

It’s not just in restaurants or malls, even at mamaks, hawker stalls, or pasar malams, you’ll see people paying with just a tap or scan. And as this behaviour becomes the norm, the need for reliable, fuss-free payment tech has never been more urgent.

Pine Labs now wants to make payment flow even smoother.

As Sharad Gulhar, Executive Vice President & Country Head of Malaysia at Pine Labs, puts it, Pine Labs want to give the best in-store payments experience to shoppers in Southeast Asia and help their merchant partners grow their business in the process.

“The different form factors of our point-of-sale terminals and the integrated value-added offerings cater to the varying needs of our merchant partners. Our tech-first approach to our product offerings makes us the go-to partner for leading banks and brands in the region,” he continued.

With the launch of three new devices, the fintech firm isn’t shouting about flashy features. Instead, it’s leaning into something more meaningful: helping businesses of all sizes make everyday transactions simpler, faster, and more secure.

E600 Duo Offers More Than Just Another POS Device

Let’s be honest, most point-of-sale terminals are functional, but uninspiring. They take payments, print receipts, and that’s about it.

The E600 Duo tries to be more than that. Designed as a smart, all-in-one device, it not only accepts DuitNow QR, cards, and e-wallets, but also helps merchants handle billing, inventory, and even bank IPP offers from a single screen. In simpler terms, it’s not just a payment device, it’s a mini business assistant.

It’s the kind of hardware that doesn’t shout for attention but earns its place on the counter by making a real difference in daily operations.

For a shop owner juggling receipts, customer queries, and end-of-day tallies, the Duo’s streamlined interface can feel like a quiet relief.

Hear Every Ringgit Count with the Sound Box Pro

If you’ve ever worked a busy retail floor, you know how easy it is to miss a payment, or worse, fall for a fake one.

That’s where the Sound Box Pro steps in. With audible, real-time voice alerts that provide both loud and clear audio for every successful transaction, the device brings a new layer of trust to QR, card, and e-wallet payments. No need to check your app or squint at a tiny screen. The device will tell you clearly that the money has landed.

It’s built for noisy environments, and it shows. The audio is loud, the connection is stable, and the experience, frictionless. Whether it’s a corner shop during peak hours or a crowded pasar malam, the Sound Box Pro from Pine Labs keeps payment moving and honest.

Sound Box Mini Might Be Small, But It Speaks Volumes

For small business owners, every ringgit counts. So does every successful payment. But digital fraud has become increasingly common, especially with customers flashing “payment screenshots” that never really went through.

The Sound Box Mini addresses that concern without adding bulk or complexity. Like its larger sibling, it provides voice confirmations for each DuitNow QR and e-wallet transaction, ensuring that every ring of approval is one you can trust. It’s compact, cost-effective, and remarkably easy to use.

It’s not flashy, and that’s exactly the point. This is a product built for microbusinesses and mobile setups (hawker stalls, food trucks, pop-up places) where space is tight and mistakes are costly.

Pine Labs Gives No Gimmicks, Just Practical Payment Tools for Everyday Challenges

What sets this product launch apart isn’t that Pine Labs is offering something radically new, but how they’re offering something thoughtfully refined.

In a space often dominated by buzzwords, Pine Labs seems to have focused on solving real problems by simplifying checkout, preventing fraud, and helping merchants do more with fewer devices.

The E600 Duo streamlines operations. The Sound Box Pro improves transparency. The Sound Box Mini protects the little guys. None of them are headline-grabbers on their own, but together, they reflect a quiet understanding of what Malaysian merchants face every day.

And maybe that’s the kind of innovation we need more of.

Featured image: Edited from Freepik.