AEON Teams With X Layer to Expand Scan to Pay

Payment and settlement layer AEON integrated with X Layer, OKX’s Ethereum Layer 2 network.

The collaboration brings AEON’s scan-to-pay capability to X Layer, allowing for real-world cryptocurrency payments in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America, according to a Tuesday (Dec. 30) news release.

“Through this integration, users can now pay with X Layer-based assets at online and offline merchants, unlocking new use cases such as in-store retail, dining, convenience shopping, and local services by scanning the QR codes displayed at merchants,” the release said. “AEON’s settlement infrastructure already connects to over 50 million merchants across the emerging markets, with expansion into additional African and [Latin American] markets underway.”

AEON’s Web3 mobile crypto payment solution is also now embedded into OKX Pay, the payment wallet that is part of the OKX mobile app. Users in supported regions can access AEON’s scan-to-pay tool right from OKX, using X Layer tokens to carry out real-world transactions.

“This unified integration gives X Layer users frictionless payment options across multiple environments, bridging Web3 wallets and real-world spending,” the release said.

Scan to pay is gaining momentum as a payment method around the world.

“The simple act of pointing a phone’s camera at a QR code to make a purchase is getting a tailwind, particularly in Asia, as QR code payments grow through digital wallets that bridge physical and digital channels,” PYMNTS reported Nov. 12.

QR codes have become a secure and inexpensive way to exchange information, including payments.

“QR codes require no specialized hardware, making them accessible to merchants of all sizes,” the report said. “The same camera that unlocks a smartphone now doubles as a checkout device, giving businesses in developing and advanced economies a lightweight way to accept digital payments.”

PYMNTS Intelligence found that over 30% of shoppers now use mobile wallets in stores weekly, a more than double increase over last year’s share. As for in-store transactions, digital wallets have almost surpassed cash, as 12.1% of transactions are carried out in cash, compared to 11.8% for digital wallets.

“These findings underscore that QR code payments have a new access point within a broader digital wallet environment that allows consumers to pay anywhere, in any format, using familiar credentials,” the Nov. 12 report said.