The government will launch a new integrated payment machine called “Simple Pay” in the first quarter of the year, Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai Nong told reporters on Thursday, adding that the Macao government will have a test run in the first phase next month and launch the second phase in March.
Lei made the remarks on the sidelines of a Macau Greater Bay Area Human Resources Association (Macau GBAHR) event at Wynn Macau on Thursday.
According to a Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) statement earlier this week, the “Simple Pay” system is an integrated payment machine, which combines all digital payment methods, including MPay, Macau Pass, Alipay, BOCPay (Bank of China) and Tai Fung Pay, in one machine. Currently, there are different machines for different digital payment methods.
Lei said that the first phase, which will be a test run of the system, will start at the beginning of February. Lei stressed that in the first phase customers’ QR codes on their smartphones will be scanned by the cashier. Lei added that the first phase will test the capability and reactions of the public.
Lei also said that the second phase of “Simple Pay” will get off the ground in March, in which customers will scan shops’ QR codes instead.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macao News)
Photo by Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM)
