SOUTH AFRICA | Luno Wallet Users Can Now Pay for Goods and Services at Pick n Pay Stores Using Bitcoin for Free

Luno wallet users in South Africa now have the convenience of making cryptocurrency payments at Pick n Pay stores by simply scanning a QR code.

While crypto payments have been available at over 1,500 Pick n Pay stores since February 2023, the payment process required customers to download two apps to make a crypto payment. Shoppers required to have a standard Lightning Wallet on their phone in addition to a CryptoQR scanner app, run by vendor CryptoConvert.

“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,” said Christo De Wit, Luno’s country manager for South Africa.

“The very first purchase – watched with interest by Lunauts (those who work at Luno) via a live webcast – was a box of Ouma rusks.”

According to local outlet, BizCommunity, the Luno Bitcoin payments are now possible at Pick n Pay hypermarkets, supermarkets, express stores and Pick n Pay Clothing.

Customers can purchase groceries and various value-added services, including airtime, electricity, bus tickets, and even pay municipal bills using Bitcoin at the checkout when shopping at Pick n Pay. Importantly, the service is said to be free.

“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.

Just recently VALR, the largest South African crypto exchange by trading volume, also enabled direct Pick n Pay payments through a partnership with CryptoConvert. Accordingly, all VALR customers are able to use VALR Pay to spend Bitcoin for the purchase of goods and services at Pick n Pay.

Luno’s feature leveages CryptoConvert as well.

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.”

As of April 2022, Luno had over 10 million users with the most growth happening in South Africa.

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