News analysis

More hawkers are going cashless, but will it last?

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG
New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

A universal payment QR code is being displayed at a growing number of hawker stalls all over the island to let customers pay for, say, a plate of chicken rice or a soya bean drink with their smartphones.

Nearly a third of all 18,000 hawker stalls in Singapore now let customers pay from major banking apps and e-wallets by scanning the QR code, backed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 24, 2020, with the headline More hawkers are going cashless, but will it last?. Subscribe