The Chief Executive of the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) Archie Hesse has urged the public to consider GhQR as one of their regular modes of payments. This he explained will enable more people enjoy the benefits associated with the service considered simple, efficient and secured.

Ghana added GhQR to its electronic payment channels March last year, as part of efforts to modernize the payment system. GhQR is an electronic payment channel that enables customers to scan displayed QR codes with their smart phones and pay, or dial displayed USSD codes with their phones to make payment. Ghana’s QR code for payment is universal which means that any customer whose bank or payment service provider offers the service can use it wherever it is displayed.

Mr. Hesse explained in an interview that the rationale behind the introduction of GhQR and other similar electronic payment channels is to enable the public to make payment easily, conveniently and at less cost. He said with the GhQR and the other electronic payment channels, regular visits to banking halls had become unnecessary. “There is no point now to take a car to go to a banking hall and join long queues, when you can perform all those transactions remotely”.

The GhIPSS Boss said payment options such as Mobile Money, mobile banking apps, internet banking and GhQR have made life a lot easy and urged the public to patronize them instead of spending precious times in banking halls for transactions that can be easily done on the phone or on their computers.

Over 48, 000 different outlets including shops, restaurants, and other service providers offer GhQR, suggesting that the service is relatively easy to access especially in Accra and Kumasi. While urging more business outlets to deplore the GhQR, Mr. Hesse is also encouraging the public to use it to make payments. “The more we use GhQR to make payments, the more merchants will be encouraged to deplore it at their outlets, but if we don’t use it, there will be less motivation for them to do so”, he added.

Ghana has seen gradual improvement in the use of electronic payment channels. Although people continue to cash out money from their Mobile Money wallets, more people make payments from their MoMo wallets than previously. It is also apparent that a lot more people shop and pay with their cards than it used to be some years ago. Mr. Hesse said the changing payment lifestyle was encouraging but said more could be done. He therefore urged the public to also regularly use the GhQR whenever they come across it.

Currently, customers of 12 banks can pay through GhQR. They include Ecobank, Calbank, GCB Bank, United Bank of Africa, Fidelity Bank and Absa bank. The others are Bank of Africa, Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and Consolidated Bank Ghana. The rest are Gt Bank and Agriculture Development Bank. Electronic Money Issuers such as Vodafone, AirtelTigo and GCB’s G-Money are also offering the service to their customers, while Fintechs such as Hubtel and B-Systems are equally offering the service.