The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has unveiled a QR Code Standard to increase online payments for businesses and customers.

The standard will serve as a roadmap for issuing Quick Response (QR) codes to customers and companies that accept digital payments from payment service providers and banks that the CBK oversees.

The use of machine-readable QR Codes comprising a grid of information-carrying black-and-white squares gives customers at supermarkets, convenience stores, and other establishments another way to start and accept digital payments.

CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge noted that implementing the Standard and using standardized QR Code-enabled payments will benefit businesses and customers.

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"Customers will now be able to make digital payments in an easy, fast, convenient, and secure manner using QR. Previously, customers had to manually input different payment codes and numbers, creating friction and cumbersome payment processes prone to errors.”

Further, he noted that the standard will promote inclusion by enabling institutions of various sizes and customers to focus on increasing the adoption of digital payments.

In the long term, using standardised QR codes will facilitate the launch of innovative products and deepen the benefits already enjoyed by customers making payments across various institutions and mobile money networks (interoperability).

He also said that the standard, based on the EMVCo QR Code Specification, has been developed through collaboration between CBK, Payment Service Providers, banks, and card schemes, among others.

“The Standard will be rolled out in a phased approach as these players align their operations to requirements set out in the Standard and increase customer awareness.”