MEDAL Facility

The MEDAL Facility Program was launched in February 2021 in partnership with the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) project, Digittances, to expand the network of merchants accepting digital payments and to increase digital liquidity. The MEDAL Facility (Merchant Expansion through Digital Acceptance and Liquidity) aims to catalyze efforts to increase digital liquidity and increase its use by mobile wallet customers in payments to merchants.

The program kicked off with a call for application for participation from licensed mobile payment service providers, and two were selected based on predefined criteria; Gadha and UWallet. The selected mobile payment service providers will work to increase the acceptance of payment via the QR code by merchants in Jordan, enabling interoperability between different types of wallets. According to the requirements of the program, the selected participants will work on increasing the number of merchants who accept QR code payments based on a predefined target number and ensure the active usage of this payment tool. They will also collaborate with distributors, retailers, and wholesalers to adopt mobile money and accept merchant payments through mobile wallets. Participating mobile payment service providers have set a merchant use case enrichment plan and are expected to deploy fully during the program. The program will conclude by the end of 2021 and partners will report on its outcomes and impact.

In addition to allowing and encouraging the acceptance of payment via the QR code through mobile wallets, the program includes setting a comprehensive publicity plan and raising awareness of QR code payments, and marketing the service throughout the Kingdom, targeting, in particular, those who are not financially included.

JoPACC’s partnership on this program with GIZ, who is a strategic partner in the digital financial services market, comes in line with JoPACC’s strategy, with one of its pillars focusing on increasing the acceptance and use of digital financial services and enhancing their channels to ensure access to all segments of the Jordanian society and increase financial inclusion in the Kingdom.

In 2019, JoPACC launched the criteria for accepting QR code payments in cooperation with the Central Bank of Jordan and the financial sector and encouraged companies that provide mobile payment services to launch the service, which is now provided by all seven mobile wallet companies.

The MEDAL Facility report can be found here.