John Kunze, SVP of branded experiences, PayPal, says: “The rollout of QR codes for buyers and sellers not only incorporates the safety, security and convenience of using PayPal in-person, but also takes into consideration ongoing social distancing requirements, even as we start to see some restrictions be lifted around the world.” paypal qr code

Recent research from product and design agency Foolproof suggested that touch-free shopping and payments could be one of the lasting legacies of the Covid-19 outbreak, as consumers shy away from devices – like ATMs and PIN pads – that require manual keying.

PayPal offers safe, secure and socially distant payments with new QR code feature

Using QR code technology, there is no technology to touch or purchase – users just aim a smartphone camera at a QR Code that is printed or present on another screen.

Lisa Scott, senior director, PayPal, says: “Covid-19 has changed the shopping experience in the UK as we know it. The need for security and convenience is there, as always, but we now need to be able to sell and buy in a way that is quick, safe and involves limited social contact.”

The use of QR codes on PayPal’s platforms is nothing new. Prior to its latest announcement, PayPal supported their use for several of its brands in the US, including retailers with a merchant account and on its Venmo mobile payments app.

The company first tried to make a major push on promoting QR codes in 2013 when it was still part of eBay. At the time it announced the expected global launch of its Payment Code service in Q1 2014, though after an initial burst of marketing, it went quiet and it is unclear if the service ever commercially launched in the form and scale it expected.