Payments provider PayPal Holdings has launched a new Quick Response (QR) code functionality that enables its app users to maintain social distancing during time of the Covid-19 period.
The new functionality allows customers to buy or sell in-person, safely and securely, and touch free.
According to PayPal, the functionality can be used by people from all walks of life ranging from farmers to people selling second-hand goods.
The feature can be used for completing a transaction in-person using the PayPal wallet, eliminating the need to handle cash.
For example, people selling items at a farmer’s market can print the QR code and place it on their table so that customers scan it and make the payment.
The feature limits physical interaction for buyers and sellers, which can be risky for both of them. A customer only needs to point his or her phone’s camera to the QR code that is printed or present on another screen.
PayPal’s QR Code functionality will be available across 28 market
Buyers looking to pay through the new functionality can go to the PayPal app, click ‘Send’ and tap the QR code symbol in the top right-hand corner. Customers can scan a seller’s QR code in the camera that is opened and follow the prompts to complete the transaction.
At present, PayPal’s new functionality will be available across 28 markets including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, the UK and the US.
In April, the company announced a set of relief measures to help its more than 24 million merchants around the world impacted by the Covid-19.
It announced waiving of certain fees and deferring repayments on business loans for some of its most affected small business customers.
