Samsung Adds QR Payments to South Africa Digital Wallet

South Africa’s payments market remains heavily card-based, but QR transactions have become an increasingly important mobile-payment channel because they are easy for consumers to use and relatively simple for merchants to accept. Integrating the technology into Samsung Wallet expands the role of Galaxy smartphones beyond storing payment cards, giving Samsung Electronics a broader foothold in the country’s digital financial-services ecosystem.

Samsung Electronics said Galaxy users in South Africa can now pay by scanning merchant QR codes through a new “Scan to Pay” feature in Samsung Wallet. The service is supported by local payment-solutions provider Scan to Pay and can be used at more than 600,000 payment locations across the country. Customers can complete purchases from their phones without presenting a physical bank card at checkout.