What Is QR Plus?

QR Plus is an interoperable QR payments capability that allows a single merchant QR code to be paid by multiple participating banking and wallet apps. Instead of the merchant displaying a different code for every payment app, one code works across the participating ecosystem, and the transaction routes between the customer's app and the merchant's provider behind the scenes.

Interoperability solves the biggest practical problem with QR payments: fragmentation. In the early years of scan-to-pay in South Africa, each app used its own codes, so a merchant needed a cluttered row of stickers at the till. Interoperable QR consolidates this into a single code and a single settlement relationship for the merchant.

How Does an Interoperable QR Payment Work?

1. The merchant displays one QR Plus-enabled code, either static or generated per transaction.
2. The customer scans it with any participating banking or wallet app.
3. The scheme routes the transaction from the customer's app or wallet to the merchant's acquiring provider.
4. The customer confirms and authenticates in their own app.
5. The merchant receives confirmation and settles through their existing provider relationship.

The customer does not need to know or care which provider issued the code, and the merchant does not need to know which app the customer used. Routing across participating wallets is handled by the scheme.

How Is QR Plus Different from Ordinary QR Codes?

For the underlying mechanics of QR payments — including static versus dynamic codes — see How Do QR Code Payments Work?.

Why Does Interoperability Matter for Merchants?

• Fewer lost sales. Customers are not turned away because their preferred app is not supported.
• Simpler operations. One code to display, one provider to reconcile with, one settlement flow.
• Lower friction at the till. Staff do not need to direct customers to the "right" sticker.
• Future-proofing. As more apps and banks join the scheme, coverage grows without the merchant changing anything.

Interoperable QR fits the broader direction of the South African payments industry, which is moving toward shared, interoperable rails — the same thinking behind PayShap for instant account-to-account payments.

Which Apps Can Pay a QR Plus Code?

Participation depends on which banks and wallet providers have joined the scheme at any given time, and coverage continues to expand. As a rule of thumb:

• Most major banking apps with scan-to-pay features participate in interoperable QR arrangements.
• Established scan-to-pay apps increasingly support codes issued by other providers.
• Your payments provider can confirm the current list of participating apps for the codes they issue.

Because participation changes over time, avoid printing marketing material that names specific apps; instead, describe the code as payable "with participating banking and payment apps".

What Should Merchants Check Before Adopting Interoperable QR?

• Settlement terms. Confirm when funds from interoperable transactions reach your account.
• References. Use dynamic codes where possible so every payment carries a unique reference.
• Refund handling. Ask how refunds work when the customer paid from a different app than the one that issued the code.
• Reporting. Check that your provider's reporting shows which wallet or bank the payment came from, which helps with queries.

Tips

• Replace multiple app-specific stickers with a single interoperable code where your provider supports it.
• Keep the code visible and undamaged; a failed scan usually means a switch to cash or card.
• Reconcile QR settlements daily using the payment references, just as you would card settlements.
• Review participating-app coverage with your provider periodically as the scheme grows.

Related Topics

• Other Payment Methods
• How Do QR Code Payments Work?
• What Is PayShap?
• How Do You Accept In-Person Payments?