Kenyans to now pay via QR in shops as CBK launches code standard

Kenyans will soon be able to pay for goods and services at shops and supermarkets by scanning a Quick Response (QR) code using their mobile devices.

This is after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) on Wednesday launched the Kenya Quick Response Code Standard 2023 alongside various players in the telecom and banking industries.

The standard will see payment service providers (PSPs) such as Safaricom, Airtel Money and Pesaflow, as well as banks such as KCB Equity and Absa, issue QR Codes to merchants that accept digital payments.

Merchants will have a QR code containing their information such as business name and amount due, and customers will scan it from the provider’s apps, including the M-Pesa, Equity and KCB mobile banking apps, in order to pay.

The customer will then confirm the merchant details and initiate the payment by entering their PIN.

Similar to money transfers and withdrawals, a customer will be notified by SMS or in the app once the payment is complete and they will be able to download the receipt.

The product marks a major step in cashless payments in Kenya for customers who previously had to manually input different payment codes and numbers.

QR payment also does away with errors common with digital payments in cases where a customer misspells a merchant’s payment code.

CBK says the standard is based on the globally-accepted EMVCo QR Code Specification and it will be rolled out in a phased approach as PSPs, banks, and card schemes align their operations to its requirements.

Kenya now joins the Philippines, Jordan, South Africa, Singapore, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, India, and China, among others, who have implemented the standardized approach to QR code payment.