NEW DELHI: The information desk official at the Eiffel Tower , a renowned engineering wonder, appears perplexed when inquired about purchasing tickets using UPI or QR-code payment methods. "I don't know what you are talking about," the official responds, indicating a lack of familiarity with these payment options, PTI reported.
In February of this year, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched in Paris to enable Indian tourists to purchase tickets for the famous tower without the hassle of currency exchange or carrying substantial amounts of foreign currency. This initiative aimed to provide a convenient and secure payment option for Indian visitors.
As the first merchant in France to accept UPI payments, the Eiffel Tower was expected to pave the way for the expansion of this service to other merchants in the tourism and retail sectors throughout France and the rest of Europe. However, the information desk official's response suggests that there may be a lack of awareness or implementation of these payment methods at the ground level.
The ticket counters at a prominent Parisian landmark lack both the necessary arrangements and information regarding the availability of purchasing tickets using a Quick Response (QR) code. This iconic attraction in Paris has yet to implement this convenient ticketing option.
Hisham Mohammed, who works as a guide at the Eiffel Tower, was pretty excited when he learned that such an option was being made for the Indians.
"Well, it was only in the news. No one knows here about the UPI option," Hisham, who hails from Hyderabad, told PTI as he waited for his next guided tour of the monument.
"I came running the next day after the announcement but found nothing here. No one had a clue then and no one knows even now.
"We were glad to hear that this was happening. UPI is convenient, but it was all in the news, nothing on the ground," he said.
However, the official website, www.toureiffel.paris/en, offers UPI as a payment option for online ticket booking, in addition to credit and debit cards.
In contrast, other popular portals like www.eiffeltowertour.com do not provide the UPI payment option.
The guided summit tour via elevator is priced at Euro 64.
With a record 14.04 billion transactions in India in May—up from 920 million in 2017-18, UPI's first full year of operations—UPI has now gone global.
It is available in seven countries—UAE, Nepal, Singapore, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—where Indians can transact at nearly 3 million merchant establishments.
While UPI usage in Paris is currently minimal compared to the over 250 million local QR code points in India, its global reach is steadily expanding.
EUROPE YET TO WARM-UP TO QR-CODE
India quickly embraced and adapted to UPI (Unified Payment Interface) after its launch in 2016.
However, you won't find a single restaurant or store in Porte Maillot, Champs-Élysées, or even in the distant North or South Paris Arenas where merchants accept this mode of payment.
Akash Sharma, originally from Mumbai and now settled in Antwerp, notes that while QR codes are available at his workplace, they are not used for payments.
"You get QR codes to access the menu in restaurants but it is not used for payments. India and China are far ahead on this," he said as he took the elevator for the Eiffel Tower summit, 276 meters (about 900 feet) from the ground.
Services like Lime offer customers the option to rent electric scooters in Paris and accept payments through Apple Pay.
Bettina Camilleri, who works with Eurosport, mentions that embracing digital payment methods is challenging in Southern Europe, particularly for older generations.
People in their late 40s or 50s are generally less inclined to use smartphones for payments.
"It's a very cultural thing. We, the French people, love our cards and cash. Our relationship with money is such that we need to have something (cash) in our hands, feel it," she said.
"It's probably because we don't feel like it's a secured payment. I think it's coming, but we're going to need some time to get used to it."
Bettina's logic is not without reason. The QR codes, largely, in Europe are dynamic and thus the URL encoded in them redirects to a second URL that can be changed on demand, even after a code is printed.
Static QR codes can't be changed in that way.
Apple users in Europe have the option of adding their card details in pre-existing apps (Apple pay) and use it for payments.
Louis Lacoche, who is a university student, unlocks his phone and shows how he has stored all his cards.
"It is very convenient. I use my phone to make payments. But I do not know what this QR code is," he said.
As Bettina says, "The younger people have no problem doing it. They are more flexible. They can do that easily than the grown-ups because it's a habit we are having a hard time getting to. I don't know why."
Bettina admits it was easy when she used it for the first time.
"My company is using it for a company restaurant. We can pay with our telephone and it works pretty well. But it's an account that we can only use internally. So, in terms of security, it's fine. It's not risky.
"But otherwise, I've never tried it. Basically, it's fear of losing your money, which is stopping people. You have the feeling it's not safe, I think, for people my age."
Paris has a different system altogether even for paying electricity bills.
"The district town hall will ask our preference how much we want to pay every month. Say, I choose an amount of Euro 50 and at the end of year if I have consumed more electricity than the money I have paid, I will get a link in my email to pay for the balance amount.
"I have to click the link, fill in card details and pay. If I pay more, I will get a refund," said Archana who runs a restaurant in Porte de Champerret.
Clearly, Europe has not warmed up to QR code.
In February of this year, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was launched in Paris to enable Indian tourists to purchase tickets for the famous tower without the hassle of currency exchange or carrying substantial amounts of foreign currency. This initiative aimed to provide a convenient and secure payment option for Indian visitors.
As the first merchant in France to accept UPI payments, the Eiffel Tower was expected to pave the way for the expansion of this service to other merchants in the tourism and retail sectors throughout France and the rest of Europe. However, the information desk official's response suggests that there may be a lack of awareness or implementation of these payment methods at the ground level.
The ticket counters at a prominent Parisian landmark lack both the necessary arrangements and information regarding the availability of purchasing tickets using a Quick Response (QR) code. This iconic attraction in Paris has yet to implement this convenient ticketing option.
Hisham Mohammed, who works as a guide at the Eiffel Tower, was pretty excited when he learned that such an option was being made for the Indians.
"Well, it was only in the news. No one knows here about the UPI option," Hisham, who hails from Hyderabad, told PTI as he waited for his next guided tour of the monument.
"I came running the next day after the announcement but found nothing here. No one had a clue then and no one knows even now.
"We were glad to hear that this was happening. UPI is convenient, but it was all in the news, nothing on the ground," he said.
However, the official website, www.toureiffel.paris/en, offers UPI as a payment option for online ticket booking, in addition to credit and debit cards.
In contrast, other popular portals like www.eiffeltowertour.com do not provide the UPI payment option.
The guided summit tour via elevator is priced at Euro 64.
With a record 14.04 billion transactions in India in May—up from 920 million in 2017-18, UPI's first full year of operations—UPI has now gone global.
It is available in seven countries—UAE, Nepal, Singapore, Bhutan, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, and Thailand—where Indians can transact at nearly 3 million merchant establishments.
While UPI usage in Paris is currently minimal compared to the over 250 million local QR code points in India, its global reach is steadily expanding.
EUROPE YET TO WARM-UP TO QR-CODE
India quickly embraced and adapted to UPI (Unified Payment Interface) after its launch in 2016.
However, you won't find a single restaurant or store in Porte Maillot, Champs-Élysées, or even in the distant North or South Paris Arenas where merchants accept this mode of payment.
Akash Sharma, originally from Mumbai and now settled in Antwerp, notes that while QR codes are available at his workplace, they are not used for payments.
"You get QR codes to access the menu in restaurants but it is not used for payments. India and China are far ahead on this," he said as he took the elevator for the Eiffel Tower summit, 276 meters (about 900 feet) from the ground.
Services like Lime offer customers the option to rent electric scooters in Paris and accept payments through Apple Pay.
Bettina Camilleri, who works with Eurosport, mentions that embracing digital payment methods is challenging in Southern Europe, particularly for older generations.
People in their late 40s or 50s are generally less inclined to use smartphones for payments.
"It's a very cultural thing. We, the French people, love our cards and cash. Our relationship with money is such that we need to have something (cash) in our hands, feel it," she said.
"It's probably because we don't feel like it's a secured payment. I think it's coming, but we're going to need some time to get used to it."
Bettina's logic is not without reason. The QR codes, largely, in Europe are dynamic and thus the URL encoded in them redirects to a second URL that can be changed on demand, even after a code is printed.
Static QR codes can't be changed in that way.
Apple users in Europe have the option of adding their card details in pre-existing apps (Apple pay) and use it for payments.
Louis Lacoche, who is a university student, unlocks his phone and shows how he has stored all his cards.
"It is very convenient. I use my phone to make payments. But I do not know what this QR code is," he said.
As Bettina says, "The younger people have no problem doing it. They are more flexible. They can do that easily than the grown-ups because it's a habit we are having a hard time getting to. I don't know why."
Bettina admits it was easy when she used it for the first time.
"My company is using it for a company restaurant. We can pay with our telephone and it works pretty well. But it's an account that we can only use internally. So, in terms of security, it's fine. It's not risky.
"But otherwise, I've never tried it. Basically, it's fear of losing your money, which is stopping people. You have the feeling it's not safe, I think, for people my age."
Paris has a different system altogether even for paying electricity bills.
"The district town hall will ask our preference how much we want to pay every month. Say, I choose an amount of Euro 50 and at the end of year if I have consumed more electricity than the money I have paid, I will get a link in my email to pay for the balance amount.
"I have to click the link, fill in card details and pay. If I pay more, I will get a refund," said Archana who runs a restaurant in Porte de Champerret.
Clearly, Europe has not warmed up to QR code.
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