Flipkart launches QR-code-based pay-on-delivery facility

Walmart-owned Flipkart on Monday launched a contactless, QR-code-based payment facility for all its pay-on-delivery shipments.

Consumers who opt for cash on delivery can use this facility, scan the QR code attached to their purchase and make a digital payment for their order through any UPI app at the time of delivery, a statement said.

This will help those consumers, who opted for cash on delivery, who can use this facility to scan the QR code attached to their purchase and make a digital payment for their order through any UPI app at the time of delivery.

The payment method not only ensures greater safety for consumers at a time when they are looking to minimise personal contact but also addresses the trust deficit that many consumers might face, the statement said.

The payment constructs and in-house fintech innovations of Flipkart are empowering new-to-internet customers and helping bring the next 200 million users to the platform, it added.

"As the lines between e-commerce marketplace and fintech continue to converge, it becomes imperative to solve for customers' evolving needs and attitudes. While the pandemic has urged several consumers to make a shift to online shopping, some trust deficit during checkout remains in pockets,” Flipkart Head – Fintech and Payments Group Ranjith Boyanapalli said.

With 'pay-on-delivery' technology, Flipkart wants to ensure that customers have peace of mind with their payments and at the same time can shop within the safety of their homes, he added.

The number of UPI-based payments has witnessed a steady rise over the years, with offline person-to-merchant transactions accounting for 42.5 per cent of all UPI transactions in December 2020, Flipkart said.

Citing NPCI data, the e-commerce major noted that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of UPI payments, with 2.64 billion transactions recorded in April 2021 – a 100 per cent increase over the previous year.