Capitec, South Africa’s largest digital bank, has launched its QR code payment functionality in their new app. The ‘Scan to Pay’ offering can be used across all major QR code-based payment providers including SnapScan and Zapper.
The new addition was fast tracked during the pandemic as it allows clients to pay without touching any surface other than their own phone. Payments can be made at till points, restaurants, for parking and for online shopping – as vendors across the country adopt the technology, offering their clients a safer way to pay.
With multiple QR payment providers available to vendors, consumers have to date needed to load numerous payment apps on their phone.
The Capitec Masterpass app allowed users to pay on SnapScan and Zapper until recently, however these brands have since decided to end their agreement with Mastercard, limiting interoperability. The new Capitec app solves this by allowing interoperability across all major payment platforms so you do not need any additional apps for QR payments anymore.
“We’re offering our clients a simplified payment process that doesn’t require switching between apps based on the payment provider the vendor has selected. Once loaded under favourites on our banking app, clients can simply tap “scan to pay”, scan the QR code and then safely confirm the purchase with either their fingerprint or banking PIN, regardless of the payment provider,” said Francois Viviers, Executive of Marketing and Communications at Capitec.
Globally, QR code-based payments have grown exponentially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the growth was more fragmented with stronger uptake in certain countries such as China, but in most countries, it was often overshadowed by long-established payment methods, such as paying with debit or credit cards.
The addition of QR code payments, which also works with Capitec’s new virtual card, is one of a range of innovations and additions announced recently by Capitec to their new banking app.
