Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 17-09-2017

In what has been described as “potentially a world first for a major grocery retailer”, shoppers will for a “limited time” be able to pay for their groceries using bitcoin at a Pick n Pay retail store in Cape Town.

In a statement, Cape Town-based specialist software payments development company Electrum, says customers at Pick n Pay’s campus store are now able to use the bitcoin cryptocurrency to purchase groceries and services.

“The checkout process is as simple as scanning a QR code using a bitcoin wallet app on the customer’s smartphone.”

Systems executive at Pick n Pay, Jason Peisl says that although bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are “still relatively new payment concepts”, the retailer has been able to “effectively demonstrate how they are able to accept such alternative payments”.

Electrum’s Dave Glass says they provided the cloud-based enterprise payments platform used for the transactions.

“We’ve worked closely with PnP for several years as a key technology provider. Our mission is to support innovative enterprises like Pick n Pay, and together we use the advanced Electrum software-as-a-service technology to move quickly on new opportunities.”

Pick n Pay did not say if it planned to expand the pilot to other stores.

– Radio Islam & Tech Central 

Watch video of Bitcoin now accepted at Pick n Pay 

Twitter: @FaizelPatel143