Passengers Can Now Pay Public Transport with QR Codes

On February 27, the Argentine Central Bank (BCRA) issued Communication A 8206, enabling financial institutions and payment service providers offering payment accounts (PSPCP) or performing payment initiation functions (PSI) to offer their customers the option of paying public transport by QR code (Travel with QR or VQR).

Digital wallets that offer their customers this option must be registered as interoperable digital wallets before the BCRA and must have its authorization to offer this means of payment.

On the other hand, QR administrators who process payments initiated through VQR must be registered in the BCRA’s register of Payment Service Providers to perform this function.

VQR payments will only be admitted through consumer presented QR codes. This means that passengers will generate a QR code by means of their digital wallet, which will be then scanned in public transport payment terminals. For this purpose, digital wallets that offer this service must include a highlighted “Travel with QR” button in their platform, which will allow customers to generate the consumer presented QR. This must be clearly distinguished from QRs used for ordinary payments with transfer (PCT).

The possibility of paying public transport with QR will be available to users from digital wallets that offer this service as of May 12, 2025 and will allow payments with debit card or funds from payment accounts.

The technical specifications will be included in Boletines de la Comisión Interbancaria para los Medios de Pago de la República Argentina (CIMPRA).