The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement System (GhIPSS) together with partner institutions are holding series of activities at the country’s major malls, to create awareness and adoption of GhQR for payments.

The first in the series begins this Friday and Saturday at the Junction Mall in Nungua a suburb of Accra. Shoppers who visit the Junction mall to shop and pay with GhQR will stand an opportunity of getting a reward.

Officials of various banks will join the team from GhIPSS at the Mall to educate the public as well as take shoppers through the process of paying with GhQR. GhIPSS has lined up similar activities at other malls with Accra mall being the next stop on the 9thand 10th of July.

Chief Executive of GhIPSS Archie Hesse said the malls will experience a beehive of activities are banks, Fintechs and Electronic Money Issuers will all be present, engaging the public and helping them have the GhQR experience.

Mr. Hesse stressed that an elaborate plan has been laid out to ensure that all COVID-19 protocols are observed. “Indeed, GhQR is a non-contact form of payment very suitable for the COVID-19 period and so we will ensure that the entire event is safe for the public”.

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.

GhQR was launched last year and more than 65,000 merchants have been enrolled onto it with most of the major banks, Electronic Money Issuers and Fintechs offering the service to their customers.

It is considered a game changer in the cash-lite agenda, as it is easier to set up, less expensive to manage and currently, payment via the platform has no charges to the customer. Also, payments made on the GhQR platform hits the account of the merchant or receiver instantly.