Counter QR Payments: What Should Your Team Confirm Before Handing Over Goods?

Why Does Payment Status Matter at the Counter?

At a physical counter, the customer's phone screen and your screen show different things. A customer may say "I've sent it" while your system still shows nothing. The rule for your team is simple: hand over goods only when your own screen shows a confirmed payment, never on the customer's say-so or their wallet screen alone.

MiraclePay's QR flow is built around this idea. The merchant creates a payment request, the customer scans it with their own wallet and sends the exact amount on the network shown, and staff then see a confirmation state. The page describes four steps: create an order, display the QR, customer pays, staff gets confirmation.

What Should the Cashier Script Look Like?

Train a short, repeatable routine. First, create the payment for the exact sale and show the QR. Second, point out the asset and network on the request, because the customer's wallet must support exactly what is shown. Third, watch your screen rather than the customer's phone. Fourth, bag the goods only after confirmation appears. Rehearse this with every new cashier before their first live shift.

How Should Staff Read Pending, Expired and Failed States?

Different providers name states differently, so teach the meaning, not the label. Coinbase's documentation, for example, describes a processing state as payment detected but awaiting confirmation, and treats completed as confirmed and finalized. It also lists expired and failed as separate outcomes. A detected payment is not yet a finished one, so the cashier waits.

If a request expires or fails, do not reuse the old QR. Create a fresh payment for the same sale and let the customer try again. If the customer sent funds but your screen shows no confirmation, stop the handover and escalate to a manager.

What Should You Practise Before Going Live?

Run a mock sale for each outcome: confirmed, still processing, expired and wrong network. Write down who the cashier calls and what they tell the customer. Keep the payment reference with the receipt so end-of-day reconciliation stays simple. Before launch, confirm your own eligibility, fees and settlement setup directly with MiraclePay, since availability varies by market.

Before enabling live payments, confirm merchant transaction fees for your account configuration.