Visa, BillDesk Extend Bharat QR Services to Over 300 Million Consumers

Visa, the global leader in payments technology and BillDesk, India’s leading electronic payments company, today announced successful enablement of fifty large service providers for Bharat QR payments acceptance in a short span of a month, thus extending the digital payment facility to potentially over 300 million consumers.

Some key merchants enabled include Tata AIG, ACT Broadband, Reliance Energy, Gujarat Gas, MTNL, Aircel, Tata Power, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Calcutta Electricity Supply spanning services such as utilities, internet, phone, DTH, insurance, and government services.

T.R. Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa, said, ''The core idea that binds technology and payments is simplicity and convenience, and QR code is a great example. Having pioneered QR technology as low cost payments solution for open loop networks, and having worked with the government and the industry in developing BharatQR, Visa’s endeavour is to grow the acceptance network for Bharat QR in the country and make digital payments accessible to all. This is a strong testimony to our open
collaboration with the innovation ecosystem to drive, frictionless payments that empower millions of lives.''

Ajay Kaushal, Co-founder, BillDesk said, ''BillDesk is delighted to engage with Visa to promote BharatQR. This is a simple yet powerful solution with great potential to shift consumers and merchants from cash to digital payments for everyday spends. It provides the speed, security and convenience that cash payments cannot match. Merchant interest in and demand for BharatQR is growing for it is simpler, faster, and more reliable ways to accept digital payments with BharatQR. We will continue to collaborate with Visa to enable online merchants for BharatQR acceptance and simplify digital payments for consumers.''

Bharat QR is a secure, network-agnostic, and device less interface that enables customers to make payments using their bank apps on smartphones. BharatQR simplifies digital payments by eliminating the need for divulging card details at the point of sale.