Dhaka Bank sees convenience as the key to Bangla QR adoption

Bangla QR has made significant progress, particularly in expanding merchant acceptance. But becoming an everyday payment method is not simply about creating infrastructure. It is about building trust and changing habits.

For generations, people in Bangladesh have relied on cash for daily transactions. Moving from a familiar habit to a new payment behaviour takes time. Customers need to experience the convenience, while merchants need to see that digital payments genuinely create value for their businesses.

Bangla QR is still a developing ecosystem, and its frameworks, regulations and implementation approaches will continue to evolve with practical experience. The real milestone will come when people stop thinking of Bangla QR as a separate technology and simply see it as an easy and trusted way to pay.

This is particularly important for small merchants. They do not adopt technology for its own sake. They adopt it when they see a clear business benefit.

For many small merchants, managing cash, finding change, keeping physical money secure and dealing with counterfeit notes are everyday challenges. Bangla QR can help reduce some of these difficulties by making payments simpler and more convenient.

The key is to show merchants that QR is not an additional burden but a tool that can make everyday operations easier. Once they see that value, adoption can become stronger.

I also believe Bangla QR's potential goes beyond simply adding another payment option. In many cases, we are only digital for five minutes. A customer may pay a merchant digitally, but when that merchant needs to pay a supplier, he may still withdraw cash and complete the next transaction physically.

The real transformation will come when the entire journey becomes digital. Merchants should be able to receive payments, manage expenses, pay suppliers, maintain records and access financial services digitally. That is where Bangla QR can create a much bigger impact and gradually reduce dependence on cash.

I would therefore not look at Bangla QR as competing with cards or mobile financial services. All these solutions contribute to the same broader goal of a more convenient digital payment ecosystem.

The next opportunity is to make the experience simpler. With a contactless card, a customer can simply tap and pay. QR payments may still require several steps, from opening an application to scanning, verification and confirmation.

Illustration: TBS

This does not make QR ineffective. It shows where the next opportunity lies. Digital payments work best when they become almost invisible. Customers should not have to think about the process; they should simply be able to complete the transaction.

Pricing also requires a balanced approach. A completely zero-fee ecosystem may appear attractive, but payment infrastructure requires investment, maintenance and continuous improvement. Without a sustainable model, long-term growth becomes difficult.

At the same time, pricing should not become a barrier, particularly for small merchants. Smaller everyday transactions should remain affordable, while larger transactions can follow a structure that supports the sustainability of the ecosystem.

One of Bangla QR's biggest long-term opportunities is creating a digital financial footprint for small businesses.

Historically, many small businesses have been difficult for banks to assess because much of their activity happened through cash. A business might be performing well, but there was limited visibility into its actual performance.

Consider a small tea stall owner with regular customers and stable daily sales. If he approached a bank for a small loan to purchase supplies or expand his business, evaluating that business could be difficult without a reliable transaction history.

Bangla QR can gradually change that. Transaction data can help banks understand patterns, cash flow behaviour and business performance, creating opportunities for alternative credit assessment models based on actual business activity.

The opportunity goes beyond loans. Better understanding of small businesses can allow banks to offer more relevant financing, digital tools and other services. In that sense, Bangla QR can help transform businesses that were previously invisible into businesses that are financially visible.

I believe Bangla QR also has the potential to become one of the foundations of a more digital retail economy. But a backbone is not created simply by placing QR codes everywhere. The entire business journey needs to work around the infrastructure.

A merchant should be able to receive payments, maintain records, pay suppliers, access financing and manage business activities through connected digital solutions.

We also need to think proactively as adoption grows. Any payment technology needs a strong framework to ensure it is used for its intended purpose. If QR is used mainly as a lower-cost way to withdraw cash, we are not achieving the larger objective of digital transformation.

The future is not about having more QR codes. It is about creating an economy where digital transactions become the natural way of doing business.

That is why I believe the next major focus should be customer adoption. We have made significant progress in bringing merchants into the Bangla QR ecosystem, but acceptance and usage do not always grow at the same pace.

At one stage, registered Bangla QR merchants had reached around 24 lakh, while daily QR payment transactions were around 2 lakh. This showed that the challenge was no longer only expanding acceptance points; it was encouraging customers to actively use the infrastructure already created.

Temporary incentives can help. Cashback or loyalty benefits can encourage people to try QR payments, experience the convenience and build confidence.

But incentives should be a catalyst, not a permanent solution.

Incentives can bring people to QR, but only convenience will keep them there.

The real success will come when customers no longer need a reason to use Bangla QR. They will simply choose it because it is the easiest and most natural way to pay.