Saudi Arabia STC Pay and mada QR Codes: Local Payment Standards

1. Regulatory Context

Payment QR codes in Saudi Arabia are regulated by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA). The Oman, UAE, and GCC region is increasingly moving toward harmonised EMV-based QR standards.

2. mada QR

mada is the Saudi national debit network. mada QR codes follow the EMVCo merchant-presented framework with Saudi-specific fields. Merchants must be registered through a mada-certified acquirer.

3. STC Pay

STC Pay is a Telco-backed wallet. Merchants display an STC Pay QR and consumers scan with the STC Pay app. The payload links to the registered merchant account.

4. General Guidance

For any Saudi payment QR deployment, obtain the QR through the acquiring bank or payment service provider. Self-generated codes that mimic the payload format may not route correctly. Verify by scanning in the target app before going live.