You can do the same thing in the US with Apple Pay and the like. They're pretty widely accepted nowadays.

I don't really see how Apple Pay backed by a credit card or debit card is any different from how a QR code system would work in practice.

Big difference is QR code based payments in india are absolutely free, no processor is allowed to charge a fee for such payments. In fact that’s the fundamental crux of what we are talking about here so I’m not sure why Apple Pay working is relevant unless it has no hidden fees to the merchant.

And how is that any different? Money is still coming out of your account electronically. In the US, I can walk around with just my Watch to pay.

No hidden fees to anyone.

Of course the payment processor always takes a cut.

Please look up how the UPI system works in india. The processor is the government and they don’t take a cut.

How does that work with fraud? I noticed that everyone accepts those QR codes.

I will say though as a tourist who was visiting my family but doesn't have a bank account, those QR codes are pretty nice but completely inaccessible to everyone outside of India :/

Same issue in Thailand. QR accepted absolutely everywhere, _but_ tourists can’t really use it (TrueMoney is supposedly a solution but it didn’t end up working, can’t remember why). Cash is so painful as many vendors flat out refuse large notes. I wish someone would just set up a service where I can link my CC to pay via QRs. I’d pay a 3% fee to avoid the inconvenience of cash.