Starting from 2022, Pick n Pay, the retail giant in South Africa, has enabled its customers to make payments using bitcoin across all its 1628 stores. This move follows a trial period of five months in ten Western Cape stores. The service fee charged for each transaction is negligible, averaging around 70c in local currency, and the payment process takes less than 30 seconds to complete.
How It Works
You can pay with bitcoin at Pick n Pay using CryptoConvert or Bitrefill.
CryptoConvert
CryptoConvert is a payment gateway for bitcoin in South Africa, offering an instant payment option at checkout through their CryptoQR platform. To use this feature, you will need a Lightning wallet like Muun and the CryptoQR scanner app downloaded onto your device. Once you have linked your Lightning wallet through the setup instructions on the app, you can make a 100 sats payment to confirm everything is set up correctly.
When you’re ready to pay at the point of sale, select the “Contactless QR” payment option and scan the QR code using the CryptoQR scanner app. This will take you to your Lightning wallet to complete the payment, and you should see the till slip print within a few seconds after successful payment.
If the point of sale does not confirm payment, you should wait 90 seconds for it to reset. If you have already sent payment from your wallet, it will be returned to you within a few minutes. You can always access support through the “help” function in the app or by sending an email to [email protected].
Bitrefill
Bitrefill is a platform that allows users to use bitcoin to buy goods and services. Bitrefill provides the ability to instantly purchase a Pick n Pay WiCode coupon and receive it through email without the need to register an account. This gift card can be redeemed at any physical PnP location, including PnP Hyper, PnP Clothing, PnP Express, PnP Mini, PnP Liquor, and PnP Family, but it cannot be used for online purchases.
Simply present the WiCode voucher during checkout at a physical store to use it. If the cashier is unfamiliar with the gift card, explain that it is a Mobile Coupon found on their till system under the ‘VAS Tender’ menu. Remember to show your Smart Shopper card first to get the final discounted total before using Bitrefill to get the exact amount due.
Find out more how to use Bitrefill
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