GhIPSS deploys 100 hybrid POSes

At least 100 hybrid Point of Sales terminals have been deployed  to enable people use their local ATM cards to shop directly.

These POSes can be found in 72 key super markets, eateries, pharmacies, hotels and beauty shops dotted round Accra and Tema.

The hybrid POSes accept both local ATM and e-zwich cards, and it is the latest initiative by Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems , to encourage people to embrace electronic forms of payment.

The deployment of the POSes began this year and steadily the number is increasing. With the deployment of 100 POSes and counting, it is expected that more people will be making payment with their ATM cards instead of cash.

Mary Dei Sarpong, Head of Business Development at GhIPSS said shoppers will enjoy a lot of convenience and flexibility using their cards to make payment.

One of the shopping outlets with the hybrid POS, Palace Shopping Centre is running a series of activities this week to draw shoppers to its outlets to have the experience of shopping with their cards. This is also supposed to kick start a number of activities by GhIPSS to get more people to shop using card instead of cash.

African Ragent Hotel, Imperial Peking Restaurants, the various outlets of Jane Ann super market and Shoprite are a few of the over 72 outlets with the hybrid POSes. GhIPSS has procured over 2,000 POSes that it hopes to saturate the market with.

The hybrid POSes for now accepts only local ATM cards and e-zwich cards.

However GhIPSS is in talks with MasterCard and Visa, so that their cardholders can use these POSes.

Mrs. Dei Sarpong said just as, it has become common practice for people to withdraw money from just any ATM as a result of gh-link, so also it will become the norm that people will use their ATM cards to shop just as it is done in advanced countries.

She said with a lot of activities lined up in collaboration with banks and shopping outlets, Ghana will soon join the league of nations where cards are used to make payments.