The South African Reserve Bank has published version 1.2 of the QR+ Standard under the Payments Ecosystem Modernisation (PEM) Programme. QR+ enables interoperable digital payment initiation across multiple form factors, including QR codes, barcodes and digital links, and is not limited to QR-based payments.

The objective of the QR+ Standard is to support interoperability across payment service providers (PSPs), payment rails and stores of value, thereby reducing fragmentation in the market and enabling a consistent and seamless payment experience for consumers and merchants. By standardising presentation interfaces while limiting unnecessary variation within specific formats, QR+ aims to reduce complexity, lower barriers to entry and support financial inclusion.

What has changed in Version 1.2

Version 1.2 introduces targeted enhancements to support integration with the PayShap payment rail. Central to this update is the introduction of the PayShap payload, which facilitates a structured data exchange between the QR+ API and the underlying payment rail. QR+ itself does not form part of the payment execution; rather, it enables the transfer of standardised payment initiation data to the selected payment rail, which then processes the transaction.

This enhancement strengthens alignment between QR+ and domestic real-time payment capabilities and enables expanded use cases, including richer payer-presented experiences.

Next steps

The QR+ Standard will continue to evolve through ongoing industry participation, simulator testing and the introduction of additional payment schemes and use cases as the ecosystem matures. The SARB intends to promote interoperability through the introduction of technical standards and rules, supporting the widespread adoption of accessible and user-friendly digital payments. The QR+ Standard will continue to evolve through ongoing active industry participation.