QR code payments for market stalls and pop-ups

A QR code is a pay link you can point a camera at. You show it on your phone, your customer scans it, and the payment page opens in their browser. They pay by card on their own phone. You never touch their card and they never touch your phone.

When a QR code beats a tap

• Across a table. At a stall, the customer is often an arm’s length away with their hands full.
• When their card is not contactless. They can type the card number instead.
• When your phone has no NFC. A QR code needs only a screen.

How to show one in Pavo

1. Type the amount.
2. Choose to charge by link.
3. Show the QR code on your screen.
4. Your customer scans it with their phone camera and pays.
5. Pavo shows Paid on your phone when the payment goes through.

What it costs

A QR payment costs the same as a pay link: 3.3% + 30¢ on the Free plan, card processing included. On a $20.00 sale the fee is $0.96 and you get $19.04.

When your customer is standing next to you and has a contactless card, a tap is cheaper at 2.9% + 15¢: on the same $20.00 sale the fee is $0.73. A good rule for a stall is tap first, QR as the backup.

Running a busy stall

• Check the signal before you open. You and your customer both need a connection. Some markets have weak coverage at the back.
• Keep your screen bright. A dim screen in sunlight is hard to scan.
• Wait for Paid. Hand over the goods when your phone says Paid, not when the customer says it went through.
• Bring a charger. A long market day is a long day for a battery.

What your customer needs

A phone with a camera and a card. No app and no account. The page they land on is on getpavo.app and shows your name and the amount.

What to say to a customer

Some people have never paid by QR code. One line is enough: “Point your camera at this and it opens a page to pay by card.” If they hesitate, offer the tap instead. Either way they pay by card and you get the same Paid screen.

Tap, QR code or link

• Tap: the customer is beside you and their card is contactless. Lowest fee.
• QR code: the customer is nearby but a tap is awkward or the card will not tap.
• Link: the customer is somewhere else. See how to send a pay link.

At the end of the day

Pavo shows today’s total, the number of payments and the fees, so counting up takes a glance. Each sale is listed with its amount and how it was paid. Standard payouts to your bank have no fee and happen on their own.

If you sell at the same market every week, your regulars learn the routine quickly. By the third week most of them have their phone out before you finish typing the amount.