Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) is encouraging the public to start paying for items with their Automated Teller Machines (ATM) cards.

It said with the rollout of the hybrid POSes, which accept both local ATM cards and e-zwich cards, every bank account holder could shop and pay with a card. Currently, there are over 53 major shopping outlets, pharmacies and restaurants in Accra and Tema with hybrid POSes for shoppers to use their ATM cards to make payments.

Speaking in an interview, the Head of Business Development at Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems, Mrs Mary Dei-Sarpong said GhIPSS is making every effort to deploy more POSes. She urged the public to enquire about POS terminals whenever they enter major shops so that they could exercise the option of paying with card instead of cash.

She said the benefits of paying with card were enormous as it brings a lot of convenience to both the shopper and the shop owners. Shoprite, Evergreen Super Market, Max Mart, Airport Shell, Batsonaa Total, and Jane-Ann Super market are among some of the few shopping centres with the hybrid Poses.

Mrs. Dei Sarpong also said fashion outlets such as M&H, Haylooks and Cute Events have also deployed the POSes. She said some outlets of First Choice Hair and Beauty Salon and X-men are among some salons where the public can also make payments with the local ATM card, and that, some hotels and health facilities have also deplored the terminals.

According to her, GhIPSS will continue to deploy the POSes until a critical mass is attained in the national capital before the deployment will start in other cities of the country later this year.

The Head of Business Development is also urging shop owners to approach either their banks or GhIPSS to have the POS deployed at their outlets. She said they stand to benefit, because of the convenience it brings and more importantly because the future belongs to electronic payments.

She said just as a lot of shops now have cash registers, so also it will soon become common for people to make payments with their ATM cards. Mrs. Dei Sarpong said the deployment of the POSes is ongoing and will continue until a critical mass is attained. At the rate at which the POSes are being deployed, it is anticipated that POSes will become very common before the year ends.