ExplainerSample story
Small shops turn to QR payments, one counter at a time
From tea stalls to tailors, more counters now show a QR code. We asked owners what changed their minds.
Walk through any busy street in Karachi and you will see small printed QR codes taped to counters, glass doors and even tea stall kettles.
Owners give the same three reasons: customers stopped carrying change, money arrives in the account the same day, and there are fewer arguments about fake notes.
“Earlier I lost ten minutes every hour looking for change. Now the speaker tells me when the money is in.”
The speaker that changed minds
Not everyone is convinced. Some older shopkeepers say they cannot see the phone screen clearly to confirm a payment, and that they do not trust a message they cannot hold.
Banks say small merchants can ask for a printed stand and a speaker that reads out each payment aloud, which solves the screen problem for many.
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