Fijians can now pay their bus fares by simply scanning a QR code on their smartphones, following the launch of Fiji’s first-ever eTransport QR Pay service.
The new feature allows passengers to pay directly from their Android or iOS smartphones by scanning a QR code on bus terminals, removing the need to use a physical eTransport card.
Speaking at the launch, Vodafone Acting CEO Rajnesh Prasad says the introduction of QR Pay marks another major step in the digital transformation of Fiji's transport sector.
Prasad says customers will need to download the latest version of the eTransport app, which includes a built-in offline mobile wallet.
He says the offline wallet is particularly important as buses travel through areas where network coverage may be limited.
Prasad says the QR Pay function will continue to operate even when a customer's phone or the bus terminal is outside a network coverage area.
Customers can top up their digital wallets in advance through M-PAiSA and, for the first time, through the MyCash digital wallet.
Prasad says the payment process has been kept simple through four steps scan, check, pay and flip.
He also highlighted the growing shift towards digital services, saying more than 120,000 customers are now regularly using the eTransport app.
Prasad says more than 220,000 cards are linked to accounts, while 15 percent of all monthly card top-ups are now being carried out through the eTransport app.
He adds that card top-ups and balance checks through digital channels, including M-PAiSA, have exceeded 40 percent of total monthly usage.
Meanwhile, Minister for Communications Ioane Naivalarua says the new QR payment option gives Fijians another convenient way to pay for their bus fares alongside existing eTransport cards.
Naivalarua says digital transformation is not simply about introducing new technology but about using technology to make everyday life simpler, more convenient and more accessible for people.
He says mobile phones have become an essential part of daily life, with people using them for communication, banking, mobile wallets and accessing information and other services.
The Minister says the QR payment feature will allow passengers to carry one less card by using a device that many already carry every day.
Naivalarua has encouraged passengers to make use of the new payment option and continue embracing the opportunities provided by digital technology.
The launch was attended by representatives from Vodafone, Digicel, bus operators, technology partners and government agencies involved in bringing the new service to passengers.
