Skip to main content

Mastercard to bring Qkr! payments app to the U.S. and five other countries

mastercard mwc 17
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Mastercard’s mobile payment service Qkr! is coming to the U.S. as well as a handful of other countries, and the company’s new partnership with Oracle will help make the experience even more simple.

Qkr! is an iOS and Android app that uses Masterpass, Mastercard’s digital payment service, to allow users to pay at select restaurants, cinemas, schools, and more. It’s not a tap-and-pay service like Apple Pay and Android Pay, and it requires the merchant to enable the service.

The collaboration between Mastercard and Oracle, which offers software services for a lot of institutions, will allow for simpler transactions on the merchant side, while preventing the need for vendors to build two separate payment solutions for in-store and online operations with Mastercard Payment Gateway Services.

“Oracle has the ability to bring this offering of Qkr! already integrated into their offering to the hundreds of thousands of merchants they have within their platform,” Kiki Del Valle, senior vice president at Mastercard, told Digital Trends.

Qkr! will launch in Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa, and the U.S. over the course of the year, where customers will be able to pay for supplies and fees at schools, make payments at gas stations, parking lots, stadiums, vending machines, and more.

Mastercard and Oracle are working with partners such as Carluccio’s Wagamama, Young & Co.’s Brewery, and Geronimo Pubs to let customers order additional items during meals, pay at the table, and split the bill.

“It’s about being able to drive a smart engagement that can help streamline some of the tasks that servers or associates at a restaurant may have and help expedite the service in the way the consumers want to engage with any particular brand,” Del Valle said.

Qkr! accepts all major credit and debit cards, and consumers can register more than one card.

Editors' Recommendations

Julian Chokkattu
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
The best Google Pixel 8a screen protectors in 2024
A photo of someone holding the Google Pixel 8a.

The Google Pixel 8a is Google's latest smartphone, and while it's not a match for Google's flagship phones, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro, it's not meant to be. The Pixel 8a is a midrange powerhouse, with the Tensor G3 processor, a showstopping camera, and the advanced smarts of Google's Gemini Nano AI model.

But none of that is worth squat if you can't see it. The display is a vital part of any smartphone, and the Pixel 8a's 6.1-inch OLED panel is a beauty. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, and a much higher brightness to boot, making it the equal of some of the best phones you can grab in the midrange market. But all that tech should be protected. Here are the best Google Pixel 8a screen protectors to keep your phone's screen safe from scratches, dirt, and smears.

Read more
Apple made an outrageous change to its new iPads
An official photo of the 2024 iPad Air.

After a year-long drought of iPads, Apple finally revealed the new iPad Air and iPad Pro models during its Let Loose event on May 7. This was a unique announcement because it broke some old traditions; the iPad Air now comes in two sizes: an 11-inch and 13-inch, just like the iPad Pro. But these new iPads are also breaking another longtime tradition: They won’t come with iconic Apple stickers. Gasp.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple Store teams received a memo where Apple explained that the iconic Apple stickers won’t be included inside the boxes of the new iPad Air and iPad Pro. The reasoning? As part of Apple’s environmental goals, it is trying to ensure that its packaging is completely free of plastic.

Read more
The 5 best AirTag alternatives for 2024
Chipolo ONE 2020 attached to keys in hand.

Losing material goods is an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean we should just lay down and wait for an item to disappear. Instead, we should spend our time investing in handy tracking devices. Apple’s AirTag lineup is one of the best-known options, but there are plenty of other brands to choose from, too. Whether you need to keep tabs on wallets, car keys, or other important possessions, these five AirTag alternatives are easy to set up, simple to use, and above all, reliable.

Read more