Joins Hands with Damro in Support of CBSL’s Nationwide LANKAQR Rollout

Colombo, November 09th, 2021: Building on its longstanding efforts to drive the adoption and usage of LANKAQR-based payments in the island, Sampath Bank delivered LANKAQR payment acceptance capabilities to one of the country’s leading diversified conglomerates, Damro Group.

Damro’s showrooms around the island will now begin accepting cashless and contactless payments using LANKAQR. Customers – Sampath Bank accountholders as well as people with accounts in other banks – can simply scan these unique QR codes appearing on the PoS screens and pay using LANKAQR-enabled payment solutions like Sampath WePay, without having to touch cash, cards, or payment terminals.

The partnership was unveiled at the launch of ‘LankaQR Janagathakaranaya’, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) LANKAQR nationwide rollout campaign aimed at popularizing LANKAQR payments among small and medium merchants and consumers, held at the CBSL premises recently.

This move is part of Sampath Bank’s ongoing efforts to support the Government and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s (CBSL) vision of creating a less cash society by accelerating the adoption of digital payments. Serving as an active partner in the CBSL’s Ratapurama LANKAQR initiative, Sampath Bank continues to drive adoption and usage of LANAKQR-based payments by engaging and educating its customers and merchant partners around the island on the safety and convenience offered by digital payment systems like LANKAQR.
At Sampath Bank, we have always strived to leverage technology to deliver innovative solutions that offer greater value to all Sri Lankans. Our team’s in-depth knowledge of evolving customer needs as well as fin-tech expertise has helped us drive the digital transformation of the nation’s financial services landscape through our pathbreaking solutions like Sampath WePay,” said Nanda Fernando, Managing Director, Sampath Bank PLC. “As a longstanding partner of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka’s initiatives around promoting the acceptance and usage of LANKAQR, we are excited to extend LANKAQR payment acceptance to the Damro Group. We invite more merchants and consumers around the island to avail themselves of the safety and convenience of digital payments.”

Bringing QR code-based payments to merchants, this innovative solution reduces the cost of adopting digital payments, making them more accessible to merchants of all sizes. They will also be able to receive confirmation of sales and have the funds credited to their bank accounts as Sampath Bank’s systems would be linked with the merchant’s PoS systems. Furthermore, merchants will also be able to save on transaction fees too on the LANKAQR platform.

Sampath Bank has continued to deliver innovative solutions like this to take the benefits of digital payments closer to all Sri Lankans. The Bank introduced Touchless Cash Withdrawals at ATMs for the first time in Sri Lanka recently. Eliminating the need to touch the surface of an ATM, the pathbreaking solution allows Sampath Bank customers and customers of all other banks in the country to withdraw the funds in their accounts and cards at any Sampath Bank ATM around the island by simply scanning the QR code displayed on the ATM screen using the Sampath ‘WePay’ app.

Sampath Bank is a 100% local bank that has deeply rooted itself in the hearts of the people of Sri Lanka. Established in 1987, the bank has become a state-of-the-art financial institution that continues to be a market leader today thanks to its constant innovation and customer focused approach to business. It has introduced many firsts to the Sri Lankan banking sector including the introduction of ATMs to Sri Lanka, extended banking hours, slip-less banking and touchless ATM withdrawals, to name a few. The Bank continues to steadily transform itself into a technology-driven financial services provider whilst keeping true to our traditions and values.

(from left) Dharmasri Kumaratunge, Director – Payments and Settlements Department, Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka; Hon. Namal Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth and Sports, Minister of Development Coordination and Monitoring, and State Minister of Digital Technology and Entrepreneur Development; Nanda Fernando, Managing Director, Sampath Bank PLC; and Lahiru Ramanayake, Deputy Chairman, Damro Group of Companies at the at the launch of “LankaQR Janagathakaranaya” held at the CBSL