Fintech BKN301 has signed an agreement with the municipality of Tbilisi, Georgia to enable digital payments for taxi fares. Through BKN301’s Keepz solution, citizens and tourists in Tbilisi will be able to carry to pay for taxi fares by simply scanning a QR code with their smartphone.

Every taxi driver in the city will be equipped with a QR code through which passengers will be able to pay for their ride, simply by scanning it with their smartphone and using Apple/Google Pay as a payment method, without the need to register with any platform. Payment is immediate and the taxi driver will receive the sum directly to their bank account. Jumping on the digital payments trend With the evolution of technology, the increasing popularity of mobile devices and better internet connectivity, Georgia is experiencing significant growth in digital/card payments, which, from about total transaction number of 254 billion in 2018, surpassed 670 billion in 2022 averaging 28% CAGR in last 10 years, as per the press release.

A growth that is also being contributed by the increase in the number of tourists, from around 6 million in 2015 to over 9 million in 2019 and an increase in the tourism revenues, who are also looking for easy ways of payment in the Georgian capital that go beyond the traditional use of cash. Officials from Tbilisi said that As of 29 May 2023, taxi fares can only be paid in cash, as drivers do not have the opportunity to purchase bank terminals. The company BKN301 offered them an interesting proposal.

They think this is an innovative and fast method of receiving payments using QR code. QR codes will be placed on the backs of car seats or other places. The customer will scan the QR code with his mobile phone and easily pay the fare, and the taxi driver will instantly receive the money in his bank account.

Also commenting on this development, representatives from BKN301 said the new solution developed for the municipality of Tbilisi demonstrates, once again, how a digital payment culture starts with projects that have a concrete impact on people's lives. Together with the mayor of Tbilisi, they have come up with a simple and user-friendly solution for both customers and taxi drivers that will help the city evolve starting from an important sector such as mobility. The hope now is that, given the usefulness of Keepz, the service will spread throughout all the cities of Georgia.

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