In early November 2019, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić stated in Hangzhou, after visiting Alibaba, that she hoped Alipay payments would be enabled in Serbia in the coming months.
Serbia subsequently developed an instant mobile payment system using QR codes, known as IPS QR, which allows users to make fast and simple payments at points of sale that support this type of transaction.
On February 27, 2020, in a Merkator S store, Jorgovanka Tabaković, Governor of the National Bank of Serbia, made the first instant mobile payment using an IPS QR code. The Governor explained that this payment method would be available in Merkator S stores and through Poštanska štedionica Bank, with the expectation that other retail chains and banks would join the project.
This payment model is based on scanning a QR code and represents one of the most practical payment methods in a modern digital environment. The user scans the merchant's QR code with their phone, after which the mobile banking app displays the bill amount and a request to confirm the payment. Confirmation is most commonly done by entering a PIN, using a fingerprint, or scanning your face, depending on the app and device.
The system operates in two basic variants:
- IPS Show – the customer generates their QR code in the app, and the merchant scans it at the checkout.
- IPS Scan – the customer scans the merchant's QR code and then confirms the payment in the app.
In practice, this means transactions are conducted quickly, without physical contact with cards or cash, making this model suitable for retail, services, and modern sales systems.
QR payment has been extremely widespread in China for years and represents one of the standard methods of everyday payment. Chinese payment platforms, among which Alipay and WeChat Pay are the best-known, popularised the use of QR codes as a simple, fast, and secure payment method. That's why QR technology is today often associated specifically with the Chinese digital ecosystem.
It's important to emphasise that IPS QR in Serbia is a local system developed within the domestic payment infrastructure, but conceptually it is very similar to the Chinese QR payment model. This type of payment has been widely used in China for a long time, while in Serbia it is gradually spreading through banks and merchants that support instant payment.
QR payment in practice
When a customer arrives at the checkout, the seller scans the product barcodes, and then the customer chooses to pay the bill via instant payment. If using the IPS Show option, the customer first confirms their identity in the app, after which their QR code appears on the screen. If using the IPS Scan option, the customer scans the merchant's QR code and confirms the amount in their app.
For the user, this is simple, and for the merchant practical because it speeds up payment and reduces the need for cash. That's why QR payment is increasingly being used in Serbia, especially in stores that want to modernise their sales process.
Although the technology is relatively new here, its model has been well-known in China for a long time, where QR payment has become part of everyday habits. This is one of the reasons why Chinese digital systems are often cited as an example of advanced mobile payment.
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