Mobile money platform M-Pesa is going a step further in its quest to dominate the digital payments space in Kenya and beyond.
A new service powered by M-Pesa, dubbed Scan to Order, is currently on a pilot phase in Nairobi.
The service gets its name (Scan and Order or Scan to Order) from its simple working mechanism.
Taking advantage of the built-in capabilities of smartphones, Huawei Kenya has built a platform that integrates an outlet’s digital menu and point of sale terminal with Safaricom’s Lipa na M-Pesa system thereby allowing users to seamless place orders at outlets of their choice. This is especially important in these pandemic times when the most minimal contact between persons is encouraged.
All that one does is scan a quick response (QR) code which can be found on the tables at the outlet where, traditionally, menu leaflets/booklets would be placed.
The scanning can be done directly via a smartphone’s camera app, for smartphones that have such functionality or any QR code scanner downloaded via the Google Play Store.
Clicking the link revealed takes one to the outlet’s digital menu from where one can select the food or drink they wish to order. They then proceed to checkout the same. At checkout, they can pay themselves or key in the number of another person who will pay. Once this happens, the kitchen or bar gets the order and starts preparing the food/drink.
At this moment, the service, which was unveiled earlier today, is only live, on a trial basis, at Pete’s Coffee, Nyangumi Road (at The Arch Place). Safaricom says that it has a goal of expanding it to several other eateries and bars within the city in the coming weeks.
