The Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has announced that Ghana will in a fortnight become the first African country to launch a universal Quick Response (QR) Code in a bid to make the country a cash-lite society.
Currently, some merchants use multiple QR codes to accept different cashless payment schemes in Ghana, however, Dr Bawumia says the code first announced in November 2019 will be inter-operable and work across various systems and platforms.
He said the QR code which will be compatible with feature phones (popularly referred to as ‘yam phones’ in Ghana) and smartphones will allow merchants and customers to receive non-cash payments easily without rushing to cash-out.
Dr Bawumia said the QR code will make the collection of monies at funerals, in public transport and eateries easier.
Ghana is, of course when we launch it in two weeks time, we will be the first country in Africa to have a universal QR Code, first country.
…It’s inter-operability at the QR Code level. Of course, QR codes are here but they are not inter-operable, we are bringing in together the standards that will make it inter-operable…, he said.
Dr Bawumia was addressing the Mobile Technology for Development (MT4D) Conference in Accra. The conference wa themed: ‘Leveraging mobile technology to drive Financial Inclusion’.
Singapore experience
Singapore launched a universal QR code in September 2018 which allowed users to scan and transfer funds from 27 e-payment apps.
The Singapore code did not support all methods of e-payment at its launch.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
What is QR Code?
A quick response code (QR code) is made up of black and white squares which represent certain pieces of information that can instantly be read using a smartphone camera. It basically works in the same way as a barcode at the supermarket.
What is GhQR?
GhQR is a new and easy way to make payments to a merchant by scanning a QR Code displayed by the merchant with your mobile phone. The merchant gets the money instantly, just like paying with cash.
Why is GhQR referred to as a Universal QR Code?
GhQR is universal because, with a single QR Code image displayed in their shop, a merchant can receive payments from customers with bank accounts, wallet accounts or card accounts from different banks and payment service providers across the country.
How do I sign up for GhQR work?
Customer signs up for the service with his/her Payment Services Provider eg. banks
How can I make payment with GhQR?
There are two ways by which you can make payments with GhQR at merchant location. Scan to Pay or Dial to Pay.
- Using Smart Phone (Scan to Pay): Log into your Mobile App and follow the prompt (instructions) to pay.
- Using a feature phone ( Dial to Pay): Dial the USSD code (e.g.
*123#) of your payment Service Provider and follow the prompt to pay any merchant irrespective of where they received their GhQR sticker from.
NB: Once payment is successful, both the customer and the merchant will receive transaction notifications
Where can I make payments using the GhQR?
Any merchant location with the GhQR sticker
What are the benefits of paying via the GhQR Code?
You can make payment to any merchant irrespective of where they received their GhQR sticker from.
How much will I pay for using GhQR?
Customer pays no fee for using GhQR
Is there a limit to how much I can spend using GhQR?
Kindly Contact your bank or mobile wallet service provider for details on your spending limits.
What happens if my account is debited but merchant does not received the payment?
Kindly contact your bank or mobile wallet service provider.
Who do I contact for assistance or further Information on the service?
Kindly contact your Payment Service Provider
