How does a QR code payment work?
EMVCo, which publishes a common format for payment QR codes, describes two modes. In merchant-presented mode, the merchant displays the code and the customer scans it with their phone. In consumer-presented mode, the customer shows a code on their phone and the merchant scans it. Online checkouts use the first: the checkout shows a code for the order, the customer opens their banking or wallet app, scans it, reviews the amount and approves. The provider then confirms the payment to the merchant, often within seconds when the rail is an instant payment system.
Why does it matter?
In several markets QR codes are the everyday way to pay from a banking app. Brazil’s Pix is a clear case: Stripe’s documentation says customers authenticate and approve Pix payments by scanning a QR code or copying a Pix string in their banking app. As an illustrative example: a store selling into Brazil that offers only cards loses customers without a card that works online. Adding a QR-based method gives those customers a way to pay from the account they already use.
What are the limits?
The checkout has to stay open while the customer switches to their app, and some never come back to see the confirmation, so the final status must come from the provider, not the browser. Codes expire, refund and dispute rules depend on the underlying rail, and on desktop the customer needs their phone at hand.
Where does Omno use it?
Omno connects instant payment and wallet methods such as PIX through its PSPs, shows them in the hosted checkout according to eligibility rules, and reports their final statuses by webhook, so an order is confirmed when the payment completes even if the customer never returns to the checkout page.