Crypto payments have been available at over 1,500 Pick n Pay stores since February 2023. But the payment process required customers to download two apps to make a crypto payment.
Says Christo de Wit, Luno’s country manager for South Africa, “To make it quick and easy, Luno customers will simply open their Luno app and scan a QR code at the till to pay in Bitcoin. Luno employees were first to test the in-app QR scanner which will be available at the tills in a week.
“The very first purchase - watched with interest by Lunauts (those who work at Luno) via a live webcast - was a box of Ouma rusks.”
Luno Bitcoin payments will be possible at Pick n Pay hypermarkets, supermarkets, Express stores and Pick n Pay Clothing within the next week. Customers can buy groceries and other value-added services, such as airtime, lights and bus tickets, and pay municipal bills with Bitcoin at the till. Luno does not charge its customers a fee to use the service.
“The declaration of cryptocurrency as a financial product by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority paves the way for greater adoption in South Africa. Pick n Pay is to be applauded for being an early adopter merchant and getting to grips with cryptocurrencies,” says De Wit.
This improvement in crypto payments was made possible by a collaboration between Luno and CryptoConvert, a company that makes crypto payments safe and simple.
CryptoConvert founder Carel van Wyk, who also co-founded Luno, says, “As the pioneer in crypto payments in South Africa, we are thrilled to partner with Luno, an established and trusted crypto app, to ensure that customers have access to a growing network of retailers and merchants who accept crypto payments.”
The functionality will be available to customers on Android and iOS.
