Liquid Pay Removes Credit Card Payments… But There’s XNAP
Liquid Pay just removed support for payment via credit cards, instead allowing only PayNow transactions to be performed on the app. After Grab’s repeated nerfs, Liquid Pay became an important replacement for hawker transactions, so this seems like a big loss for those counting on the app to pay for meals using credit cards.
Before we chalk this up as another nerf however, there is another app named XNAP that serves the same functionality of letting you pay hawker QR codes with credit cards. XNAP is also by Liquid Group, which means the app would work on any QR code that shows support for Liquid Pay. This makes the removal of credit cards from Liquid Pay nearly a non-issue.
Some cards will no longer work
Update: there are some data points that XNAP payments get a merchant category code of 6012 for some payments; we will need to experiment a bit more to see whether it gives card rewards
“Nearly”, because XNAP only supports credit cards that you can add to your Apple Pay wallet for iPhone users, and Google Pay wallet for Android folk. This means that Apple users will no longer be able to use cards from banks like CIMB which only has Google Pay support, while Android people will miss out on Maybank Family and Friends card which does not have Google Pay support.
Less mainstream banks with support for neither mobile wallet would also be left out. Citi Rewards card, too, will be a little iffy given how its terms and conditions specifically excludes payment via mobile wallet for 10X points. There are scattered reports that the card does not work for other wallet apps like Kris+.
There is certainly going to be another round of experimentation whether our usual high-earn cards get most of their rewards, but I would think that most would be fine apart from the few exceptions above. We can share data points and experiences in our Telegram group chat.
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What’s this for anyway?
I’m no marketing guy, so don’t ask me if “XNAP” is more marketable than something straight to the point like “Liquid Pay” (it probably isn’t), but I certainly have my reservations about whether this was a necessary move.
I even tried to clarified the rationale behind a move like this, asking someone familiar with the matter but I ended up being more confused than I started.
Regardless the reason, as long as I continue getting my cashback and miles from my hawker meals, I’m good, never mind that the app sounds like something you use to kidnap your ex or something.
PayLah is offering a generous S$3 off hawker meals every Friday
If you missed this article previously, do note that PayLah has started offering S$3 instant cashback at eligible hawker stalls islandwide every Friday until 2024. It’s definitely something to remember using every Friday for your hawker meals.
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If I charge these transactions through XNAP to my credit card, will they be considered “online transactions?”
Yes