Details are sketchy but it seems that PayPal will be using QR Codes as it moves offline with its new payment technologies but not for payment. A new PayPal hype movie shows a shopper walking into a store and scanning a QR Code (image below) to receive a discount. The shopper is then seen paying for the item with their PayPal account. Apparently more will be revealed at the X.commerce Innovate Conference October 12-13 in San Francisco. For now there is the PayPal blog post which includes the hype movie.
This doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the QR Codes that PayPal’s owner eBay is using in its “When it’s on your mind, it’s on eBay” campaign. The campaign kicks off shortly with a blitz of TV and online ads without QR Codes but the outdoor display ads will use them to resolve to custom eBay landing pages. eBay says it will unveil the outdoor ads in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles beginning October 17.
