Around 5,400 hawkers in Singapore have adopted the use of a unified e-payment system called the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR).

In a nutshell, this payment system ensures that the consumer and merchant only need to scan one QR code, which can be accessed by multiple payment options.

To date, there are over 30 payment options (including PayNow, DBS PayLah!, GrabPay, and Singtel Dash) that are accepted by SGQR.

Push for hawkers to go digital

The rollout of the SGQR payment solution is part of the is part of the government's push for hawkers to go digital.

This mission to promote the use of e-payment among hawkers is helmed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Enterprise Singapore. It is supported by the SG Digital Office, the Housing and Development Board (HDB), JTC Corporation (JTC) and the National Environment Agency (NEA).

Speaking to the media at the Toa Payoh Lor 8 Market and Food Centre on August 12, Minister for Communications and Information S Iswaran said that the government is aiming to reach out to and persuade 18,000 hawkers by mid-2021 to adopt SGQR.

"To-date, we have about 5,400 of them who have adopted it. That is about 30 per cent of the total number. So that is a very encouraging base from which to work on," said Iswaran.

In order to incentivise hawkers to adopt SGQR, they will be given an E-payment Bonus.

Every month, hawkers will receive S$300 if they conduct at least 20 transactions (of at least S$1 each) using SGQR. The total amount received from the E-payment Bonus is capped at S$1,500.

In June 2020 alone, around 2,000 hawkers qualified for the bonus payment, said Iswaran.

"What is significant about this is that it shows it is not difficult to achieve that target of encouraging the usage."

Covid-19 has placed spotlight on digitalisation

Of the 134 stalls at Toa Payoh Lor 8 Market and Food Centre, 88 have adopted the use of SGQR, the minister added.

He also said that while digitalisation has been talked about way before the onset of Covid-19, the pandemic has accentuated its importance:

"[Because] for many businesses, digital transition has now become a matter of necessity and, I would say, survival - whether it is being able to sell online, take payments online, link up with logistics companies for last mile solutions and so on."

Top image by Jane Stephanie.