Chinatown Hawker Says Customer’s Payment Didn’t Go Through, Kind Netizens Offer To Compensate

Chinatown Hawker Claims Customer’s Payment Via QR Code Didn’t Go Through

UPDATE (4 Aug, 6.55pm): Folks from Warung Soto said that while they appreciate the kind gestures, they will not be accepting any forms of payment.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the digitalisation process for many businesses, including our hawkers.

Govt Invests $500 Million To Help Hawkers Go Digital, Encourage E-Payments

While cash payment was the modus operandi pre-pandemic, many have switched over to or added digital, contactless methods.

On Tuesday (3 Aug), Warung Soto, a hawker at Chinatown Food Complex, shared about how a customer’s e-payment for food had failed to go through.

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Though the stall owners were understandably disappointed, countless netizens have since offered to compensate on the customer’s behalf.

Warung Soto customer allegedly makes failed digital payment

In their post, folks from Warung Soto said a ‘young man’ had visited the stall at about 1pm on Tuesday (3 Aug).

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After scanning through the menu, he ordered a nasi goreng tom yum and macaroni bakso which amounted to $8.30.

The customer then opted to make payment digitally by scanning a QR code assigned to the stall.

After doing so, the man showed his phone screen to the stall owner before thanking them and heading off with the food.

Chinatown hawker asks customer to come back the next day

Though nothing seemed amiss with the process, the hawker later realised that the payment did not go through even after 10 hours.

The hawker shared that such digital payments would normally be processed immediately or take 10 seconds at the longest.

While hoping that it’s just a technical fault, the stall owner urged the customer to come down again the next day, presumably to fulfil the missed payment.

Netizens offer to pay on customer’s behalf

Though the incident is indeed unfortunate if true, many netizens have since offered to pay on the customer’s behalf.

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This Facebook user even went so far as to transfer the $8.30 owed directly to the hawker without any questions asked.

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Many pointed out that it could have merely been a careless mistake on the customer’s part.

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Hope it’s just an honest mistake

Though the incident is no doubt unfortunate, we’re glad that Singaporeans are rallying behind the hawker and even offering to pay on the customer’s behalf.

That said, we hope this is but an honest mistake and that the customer will return on his own accord to settle the payment.

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Featured image adapted from NETS on Facebook and Google Maps, photo on the left is for illustration purposes only.