How to Scan PayNow QR Code Displayed on Your Phone

Posted on 12 May 2025 by alexhalfborg — 3 min

You are probably familiar with how to use your phone camera to scan a printed QR code in a shopping mall or hawker centre.

But what if the PayNow QR code is appearing on your phone screen? This happens when someone sends it to you over WhatsApp or email, or you are shopping online using your phone.

How do you scan a qr code on your phone screen? Here is the solution.

1. Save the QR Code to Your Phone's Gallery

The first step is to save the QR code image to your phone.

If it's an image in a chat app or email, you can usually tap and hold on the image to get an option to "Save to Gallery," "Save Image," or "Download."
If the QR code is on a webpage, you can take a screenshot. Most phones do this by pressing the power and volume down buttons simultaneously, but check your specific phone model's instructions.

2. Open Your Preferred Banking or Payment App

Once the QR code is saved, open the mobile banking app you use for PayNow transactions. Popular options include:

UOB TMRW
DBS PayLah!
DBS/POSB digibank
OCBC Digital app
Other banking apps that support PayNow QR scanning.

3. Locate the "Scan" or "Scan & Pay" Feature

Within your banking app, find the primary button or option to initiate a QR payment. This is commonly labelled as "Scan" or "Scan to Pay" or "QR Pay".

UOB Scan to pay

Tapping this will typically activate your phone's camera.

4. Look for the "Scan from Image" or "Scan from Photos"

Look for an option on the scan screen that allows you to use an existing image. The phrasing for this feature varies slightly between apps, but you'll generally find something like "Scan from image", "Upload from device", "Photo Library".

For example, in UOB TMRW, the option is "Use QR Code from Photos."

Example of UOB TMRW app

5. Select the Saved QR Code from Your Gallery

Find the QR code image you saved in Step 1 and select it.

Choose QR Code from Phone Gallery

6. Review the Payment Details

If the app successfully reads the QR code image, it will show a preview page. Make sure the details are correct. If it was a dynamic QR code, the amount will be pre-filled. If not, you need to enter the amount now.

7. Confirm the Payment

If all the details are correct, confirm the payment.

That's it! You've successfully scanned a PayNow QR code that was displayed on your phone screen.