SINGAPORE: A woman raised a query on social media regarding the legitimacy of an additional fee for cashless payments at a local shop. Ms. Nur Azah sh
SINGAPORE: A woman raised a query on social media regarding the legitimacy of an additional fee for cashless payments at a local shop. Ms. Nur Azah shared her concern on the COMPLAINT SINGAPORE Facebook page on August 9, accompanied by a photo of a cash register displaying a total of $4.20.
Above the QR code for cashless transactions, a small note stated, “Additional 20¢ for each cashless transaction.” In her post, Ms. Nur questioned, “Hi, is this 20¢ fee allowed for cashless payments? I mean, PayNow is free of charge; why do I have to pay to bank money directly into your account? Don’t they receive grants for going cashless? I don’t think this is right. Am I allowed to report this? Who do I report to? Thanks. The cashier is probably just a worker.”
The Independent Singapore has reached out to Ms. Nur and The Association of Banks in Singapore for further clarification. Her post has garnered significant attention, with many users sharing their thoughts.
One commenter explained, “PayNow is free for consumers but not necessarily for businesses. Banks charge fees for payment collections through SGQR.”
Another added, “Just like credit card payments, some merchants charge additional fees because renting the reader/scanner and terminal/printer may not be free. That’s why some only accept cash or NETS payments.”
Further comments indicated that while users might not incur fees, businesses often face transaction charges. “The government waived the PayNow QR fee for merchants for a few years, but now it’s chargeable,” one user noted.
This incident highlights the ongoing conversation about the costs associated with cashless transactions and the responsibilities of businesses in managing those fees.
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