S’PORE SHOP CHARGES EXTRA 20 CENTS FOR CASHLESS PAYMENTS, NETIZENS ASK “IS THIS ALLOWED”

In recent times, the realm of consumer complaints in Singapore has been dominated by reports of stalls imposing steep prices for meals, generating waves of public outrage.

However, a fresh concern has emerged, this time in connection with contactless payments. The spotlight is now on a particular shop in Singapore that has garnered widespread attention for levying a S$0.20 charge on customers opting for cashless transactions, sparking a vigorous debate on the subject.

The Viral Outrage

On a fateful Wednesday (9 Aug), a concerned netizen took to the Complaint Singapore page on Facebook to share her recent experience at a local shop.

The pivotal point of her grievance was a seemingly innocuous QR code affixed to the shop’s premises, inviting patrons to make payments through their respective bank applications.

This modern and convenient payment method, however, came with an unexpected price tag – an extra S$0.20 fee.

Unraveling the Dilemma

The observant netizen couldn’t help but voice her perplexity over this peculiar practice. She raised a valid question – if PayNow, a prominent digital payment platform in Singapore, is devoid of charges, why was this particular shop burdening its customers with an additional fee?

Amidst the growing cacophony of opinions, the netizen threw another question into the ring – do businesses receive incentives or grants for adopting cashless payment systems?

This query hints at a larger consideration: if businesses are indeed incentivized to embrace cashless transactions by the government, should they then be imposing additional charges on customers who choose this mode of payment?

Netizens’ comments

1. No it’s not true.. I run a business.. this qr code payment Is free we don’t have to pay any service charge.. pse report the shop
2. There is no bank fee charge per transaction if QR code is UEN paynow but only charge merchant service & admin fee monthly. So this doesn’t matter with the consumers. Consumers shouldn’t pay this unknown fee while merchants have grants to claim from gov. Kindly report to MAS if you wish to. But can choose to ignore and just pay CASH
3. Bank do charge Merchant for Paynow transactions. It’s not free
4. I also run a business. My customers pay me via my UEN/QR code without any extra charges or fees. My bank also do not charge me any extras.
5. Nb so free or not free?