Half of Thais keen to use Standardized QR Code as payment method with usage strongest among Gen Y – Visa survey
12/19/2017
Ease of use, fast transaction speed, enjoyable user experience, and high security are key to achieving widespread adoption of QR code payments.
A new study from Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, found that three in four (74 percent) respondents are aware of QR code as a payment method – the highest in Southeast Asia – while almost half (46 percent) would like to use it on a regular basis.1
Quick response or QR code payment is already popular among Generation Y. Across all age groups, 42 percent of respondents said they are already using QR code to pay. Usage among Generation Y however was strongest at 53 percent, compared to only 29 percent among Generation X.2
The majority of respondents approved of their QR Code payment experiences, with almost half of those said they had “great” user experiences (47 percent). Only one percent claims to have “bad experience”.
Given the strong appetite and positive experiences consumers have, Visa is working closely with five issuers to make QR code payments available for their Visa credit cardholders early next year.
Suripong Tantiyanon, Country Manager, Visa Thailand said: “The introduction of standardized QR code payments earlier this year ensures that merchants can accept QR code payments from all providers using the common standard. A fully open, human-centric payments solution that is interoperable across all platforms is key to succeed in this fragmented market and thrive in the era of hyper-connected digital economy.”
Since the successful launch and implementation of the National ePayment Plan, much attention has been given to QR code as the most cost-efficient and scalable way to expand access to electronic payments. And as more people want to use QR payments, solutions proliferate. To date there are more than 20 financial institutions and non-financial players such as telecommunications networks that offer QR code payments solutions – many of which still remain closed loop.
Mr. Suripong added: “Providing incentives with appeal across all consumer groups is key to drive adoption and usage. Consumers not only demand international acceptance and multilayered security, they want to enjoy the usual benefits from Visa such as special offers, relevant promotions, and reward programs from their everyday purchases.”
The study found that the top three most popular categories for QR code payments are bill payments (50 percent), purchases at convenience stores (39 percent), and groceries (36 percent). The findings indicate that people are willing to use QR payments on a regular, if not daily, basis.
Mr. Suripong said: “Given that people want to use QR code payments regularly, it is important that they are not limited to just one source of fund. In the next stage of payments evolution, consumers will choose whether they want to pay using their debit, credit or prepaid cards registered on their mobile applications. Whether payments are made via mobile application or plastic card, consumers’ behaviors and needs must be taken into account.”
Consumers are getting increasingly demanding with QR code payments. Fifty-four percent look for ease of use first and foremost; while 52 percent want faster transactions to save time. Thirty-eight percent seek “enjoyable” and “more interesting” user experiences. Security remains important for 36 percent of respondents.
Visa also recently obtained a domestic network licence from BOT, allowing the company to fully participate in Thailand’s domestic debit market and enabling consumers the options to use their Visa debit cards for standardized QR code payments.
1 The Visa Consumer Payment Attitudes Study 2017 was conducted by Intuit Research on behalf of Visa from July to August 2017 in seven Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The total sample size is n= 4,160; 513 working Thai adults aged 18+ with a monthly personal income of THB 15,000 and above took part in the online survey.
2 For this research, Generation Y is defined as respondents born between 1981-1999 (aged 18-36); Generation X is defined as those born between 1966-1980 (aged 37-51).
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead of time with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.