Abstract
The proliferation of mobile money in Ghana has catalysed a shift towards digital payments in the informal retail sector. Street food vending, a critical component of urban economies, presents a unique context for examining how micro-entrepreneurs integrate new financial technologies. This study investigates the adoption of QR-code-based payment systems among street food traders in Osu, Accra. Its objectives are to assess the prevalence of adoption, analyse its perceived effects on daily sales revenue, and evaluate its role in customer retention strategies. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a stratified random sample of street food vendors. Data were collected via structured, interviewer-led questionnaires, capturing metrics on technology usage, sales figures, and customer dynamics. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Approximately 42% of surveyed vendors had integrated QR code payments. Adopters reported a statistically significant positive association with perceived daily revenue and highlighted enhanced transaction speed as a key customer retention mechanism. Non-adopters cited transaction costs and network reliability as primary barriers. QR code adoption is moderately prevalent and is linked to positive business performance indicators among this vendor population. The digital divide, however, remains pronounced, influenced by cost and infrastructural constraints. Policymakers and financial service providers should develop targeted subsidy programmes to reduce transaction fees and invest in robust digital infrastructure to support wider, more equitable adoption within the informal sector. digital payments, QR code, mobile money, street vendors, informal economy, financial inclusion, Ghana This paper provides novel empirical evidence on the business-level impacts of QR code payments within West Africa's street food vending sector, a previously under-researched demographic.