The Chief Business Officer of Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), Akosua Blay, says the organisation’s role in the Ride with MoMo initiative is to ensure that digital payments are interoperable, allowing customers from different banks, mobile money operators and fintech wallets to pay drivers seamlessly.
‎‎Addressing the media, Ms Blay explained that GhIPSS introduced the GHQR, Ghana’s national QR code payment platform, which enables customers to pay for goods and services regardless of the financial institution or mobile money provider they use.
‎‎She said customers can make payments by scanning a QR code with a smartphone or, for those using feature phones, by dialling a USSD code (*170#), entering the merchant code and authorising the payment.
‎‎According to her, GhIPSS makes the platform interoperable by connecting banks, mobile money operators and fintech companies through the national payment switch.
‎‎”If GhIPSS had not been in the picture, transactions would have been limited to customers paying only merchants on the same mobile money platform. Because GhIPSS is involved, customers of MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AirtelTigo Money and banks such as GCB, Ecobank and Absa can all make payments using the same GHQR,” she said.
‎Ms Blay also assured users that the platform is highly secure.
‎‎She noted that bank customers access the service through their banking applications, while mobile money users transact through their registered mobile wallets, all of which are backed by Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, including Ghana Card verification.
‎‎She added that the payment infrastructure is secured through the national switch, with protected connections between participating financial institutions and the central platform.
‎‎”The platform itself is very secure because transactions are processed through the national switch using secure connections,” he said.I can also turn this into a broadcast-ready news story in the hourglass style or an inverted pyramid format if you need it.
