By AZE.US
Shoppers in Baku say some retailers are refusing payments made through QR codes in the m10 application. A test conducted by Baku TV found that the problem is particularly common in clothing stores located inside shopping malls.
A Baku TV reporter visited eight stores to determine whether customers could pay for purchases by scanning a QR code through m10.
Six of the eight retailers refused to accept the payment method. Employees offered different explanations: some said their stores did not work with m10, while others cited technical problems or incompatibility with their payment systems.
One retailer said it could process QR payments through certain banking applications but continued to experience difficulties with m10.
“Payments made through a banking application work, but we have a problem specifically with the m10 QR code. The issue is with our system, not the customer,” a store employee said.
Only two of the eight stores confirmed that customers could pay through m10 without restrictions.
Why Are Stores Rejecting QR Payments?
QR payment infrastructure is not yet fully integrated across all Azerbaijani retailers. Whether a payment can be processed depends on the acquiring bank, software and payment platform used by each store.
As a result, the presence of a QR code at the checkout does not necessarily mean that it will accept payments from every banking application or digital wallet. A retailer’s system may support QR transactions from one bank while rejecting payments initiated through m10.
Experts say wider use of QR payments could reduce the cost of processing cashless transactions. Unlike conventional card payments, which may involve international payment networks, domestic QR transactions can be processed within Azerbaijan.
This could reduce fees and limit the amount paid to foreign payment operators. Banks and digital-payment providers may return part of those savings to customers through higher cashback rates, making QR payments more attractive than traditional card transactions.
The Central Bank of Azerbaijan has been encouraging digital payments as part of efforts to reduce the use of cash. However, wider adoption will require retailers to accept payments from different banks and digital wallets without technical restrictions.
Baku TV contacted m10 for clarification. Representatives initially said the company would provide a response, but no official comment had been received by the time the report was aired.
AZE.US