FNB has added support for QR code payments using the FNB mobile app. The feature is aimed both at consumers (people who scan-to-buy) and at businesses (those who receive payments via scanning).
Given the popularity of Snapscan and Zapper in South Africa, the appeal is obvious. The only catch is that both the parties in a transaction need to be FNB clients to create or scan the QR codes… for now at least. FNB’s already got a great person-to-person payments solution in the form of GeoPay, but QR codes are better suited to businesses and don’t require the recipient to have the app open.
“The ability to make QR code payments offers our customers convenient and secure alternatives to carrying cash,” says Raj Makanjee, CEO of FNB Retail.
The feature works by creating a computer-generated QR code in the app that users can get people paying them to scan (there’s a ‘Scan to Pay‘ option in the app under Payments > FNB Pay) using their smartphone’s camera.
FNB has long positioned itself as the vanguard of digital innovation in the banking sector, and this continues that trend. The bank was one of the first to adopt cardless services, as well as smart device tap-to-pay via Fitbit and Garmin wearables.
More recently, FNB started offering its customers free access to the subscription-based The Entertainer app that offers various discounts and two-for-one specials in South Africa’s major cities.
“As pioneers in innovation, we are consistently developing a wider selection of customer centric solutions in digital payments, including solutions such as GeoPay and FNB Pay,” says Makanjee.
