Viva Republica, operator of the Toss app, has completed a proof-of-concept with Gwangju Bank for offline QR payments using stablecoins.

Toss said on Oct. 8 it implemented a stablecoin-based QR payment flow by linking the Gwangju Bank mobile app, the Toss app and Toss Place payment terminals.

The test was conducted to confirm a process in which Gwangju Bank customers start in the bank app and make payments at offline stores via the Toss app without installing additional apps or going through complicated procedures.

When users select stablecoin payment in the Gwangju Bank app, the linked Toss app opens and the QR scanner runs automatically. Payment is made after scanning the QR displayed on the merchant terminal, and the result is shown again on the Gwangju Bank app screen.

Settlement was designed so the amount paid by the customer is delivered directly to the merchant. Payment and settlement are confirmed together when the transfer is completed, so there is no separate settlement procedure after payment.

The PoC was conducted in an environment separated from commercial services. It used virtual merchants and did not use actual customer information or assets. Toss and Gwangju Bank focused on confirming whether the payment and settlement process worked as designed.

The two companies will prepare a second test based on the results. They plan to improve the payment process and discuss the scope of verification involving actual merchants.

A Toss official said, "We implemented and confirmed whether a payment that starts in the bank app can continue without interruption to an offline store," and added, "We will continue technology verification in the payment infrastructure field."