Shoprite Group’s customers can now pay for groceries with their mobile phones as the retailer said it continues to find new ways to keep its stores, customers and employees safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The food retailer said QR payments will be available at the tills in all Shoprite, Usave, Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores within the next two months.

Customers can simply to scan the QR code at the till point with their phones and pay with Masterpass, SnapScan, Zapper, FNB Pay or Nedbank Pay in any of the group’s stores.

The group said the amount payable will automatically display on the customer’s phone, allowing customers to shop without cash or having to touch the pin pad.

“As retailers we must meet the challenge of the new shopping environment to deliver outstanding product research and buying experiences. Rolling this payment method out enhances our customers’ shopping experience with more options and greater convenience,” said Jean Olivier, GM: Financial Services for the group.

The QR code was built on the EMVCo standard with the help of Mastercard and one of the group’s technology partners, Electrum.

It is currently available in 29 Checkers stores and will be rolled out to all stores across South Africa within the next two months. The rest of the continent will follow as soon as possible, it said.