BB Dangles Cash Incentives to Put Bangla QR Payments on Fast Track

Bangladesh Bank has rolled out cash incentives for banks and payment service providers to accelerate the adoption of Bangla QR, targeting the country’s millions of small shops, marginal businesses and street-level merchants in a fresh push to move everyday transactions from cash to digital payments.

The central bank issued a circular on Monday, announcing that registered small and marginal merchants accepting payments through the NPSB Bangla QR platform will be covered by the new incentive scheme.

The initiative is designed to make digital payments safer, simpler and more accessible while building a single, interoperable payment ecosystem across the country.

Under the scheme, incentives will be paid on every Bangla QR transaction of up to Tk2,000. The merchant’s acquiring institution will receive 0.10 per cent of the transaction value, while the issuing institution serving the customer will receive 0.20 per cent.

The incentives will be settled monthly, giving banks and payment service providers a direct financial incentive to expand Bangla QR acceptance among small merchants.

Bangladesh Bank, however, has drawn a firm line against manipulation of the scheme. Merchants will be prohibited from splitting a single payment into multiple smaller transactions to claim additional incentives.

Failed, reversed, refunded, chargeback, disputed or cancelled transactions will also be excluded from the incentive programme.

The central bank warned that it will keep the system under close surveillance and may inspect transaction records, merchant information and settlement data at any time.

Any institution found to have claimed incentives through fake, artificial or fraudulent transactions will be required to return the money, with Bangladesh Bank authorised to recover the amount by adjusting it against future incentive payments.

Banks and payment service providers have also been instructed to monitor suspicious merchant behaviour, particularly artificial transaction splitting and attempts to cash out through the system.

Institutions that fail to prevent such abuse could face regulatory action under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2024.
The new incentive programme will take effect from October 1, 2026.

Industry insiders believe the scheme could give a significant boost to QR-based payments among small retailers, roadside vendors and service providers, helping reduce the economy’s dependence on cash while widening access to formal digital payment channels.

The move also comes as Bangladesh Bank seeks to turn Bangla QR into a truly nationwide payment rail, capable of connecting banks and payment service providers through a common, interoperable platform and making digital transactions part of everyday commercial life.