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Aussies to buy groceries via QR codes by Christmas

Australians could be paying for their Christmas gifts by simply scanning a QR code under a radical new technology launched by payment provider eftpos.

Labelled "eQR", the technology allows customers to pay for goods by scanning a QR code with their mobile phone at the checkout.

The use of QR codes not only provides a potentially faster transaction, but would allow retailers to roll digital receipts and customer rewards into one single action.

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By providing a "data rich" transaction, the use of QR codes has the potential to allow merchants to offer customers more security, personalised loyalty offers and storing product warranties digitally.

The new payment platform has already attracted a number of partners including the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, Coles, Woolworths, Azupay, Beem It and Merchant Warrior.

Eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said the COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly made Australians comfortable with how QR codes work, and using them for transactions is a natural progression.

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"We expect eQR will quickly become the QR equivalent of eftpos Tap& Pay on debit cards.  COVID has changed customer behaviour and Australians are now ready for the enhanced payment experience offered by eQR," Mr Benton said. 

"The eQR platform aims to provide better experiences for consumers and merchants through added security, loyalty, offers and digital receipts, no matter where they choose to shop – online, on their mobile or at the checkout."

Several Australian merchants are already trialling the platform, which was completed in July 2021.

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Woolworths Group's Wpay Managing Director Paul Monnington said the platform will allow customers to combine their reward points and payment in one single action.

"We know speed and ease through the checkout are increasingly important to our customers amid their busy lives," Mr Monnington said.

"Now is the perfect time to introduce QR and we look forward to building the next generation of seamless payment experiences with eftpos in the months ahead."

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

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Australia's east coast to get drenched by 'beast from the south'

Meteorologists warn a "beast from the south" will produce a dangerous mix of heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail and snow over Australia's south-east as a week of spring wet weather continues.

The Bureau of Meteorology has also said the chances of a La Nina weather pattern heading into a wet summer is increasingly likely.

That means more rain, cooler days and warmer nights could be on the way in coming months.

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https://twitter.com/Ben_Domensino/status/1448091984908931073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

It has upped the odds of this happening from 50 to 70 per cent.

The Bureau of Meteorology said: "La Niña events increase the chances of above-average rainfall for northern and eastern Australia during spring and summer."

Meanwhile, wet weather will continue for parts of the nation today and tomorrow, after heavy rain smashed parts of Melbourne.

The Victorian city is about to cop a month's worth of rain over four days.

While October is traditionally the wettest month of the year in Melbourne and across most of Victoria, the state's capital has recorded 43mm of rain out of an average October's 66mm.

Now a mid-spring soaking is set to deliver another 50mm to 60mm in the space of just four days from today through to Saturday.

Storm clouds in Brisbane.

In NSW and the Australian Capital Territory, tomorrow is expected to be the day of highest impact with rain and thunderstorms expected across large parts of the state and territory and severe thunderstorms possible in multiple areas.

The storms will begin to form across the west of NSW from this afternoon and continue into tomorrow morning, before extending to more eastern parts of the region through the day and into tomorrow night.

Larger population centres, including Sydney and Canberra, may also experience thunderstorms.

In South Australia, a strong cold front which passed through the capital this morning and is now tracking eastwards, dropped temperatures significantly, meaning that in Adelaide the temperature all day will not get warmer than the 18.4C it was at midnight.

For example, the mercury only reached 10.9C around 8am in the city.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1447777476462194694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Weatherzone predicts Adelaide likely won't see another 20C day until Sunday and it'll be even cooler in the far south-east of the state, with Mt Gambier looking at maximums of 15C or 16C for the next five days.

More showers are expected for the east coast ahead of heavier rain and storms tomorrow.

It will be mostly sunny in Cairns and Townsville as well as Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

The Gold Coast, Sydney and Canberra will see showers, with rain also on the way for Melbourne and Adelaide.

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Why experts are seeing an explosion of fat, venomous snakes

A New South Wales snake catcher warns he's seeing an increase in fat, venomous reptiles at the start of snake season.

Sean Cade, owner of Australian Snake Catchers, removed an "extra-large" six foot eastern brown snake from a western Sydney home at the beginning of October.

Its body was as thick as a beer bottle.

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The massive brown snake was safely removed from a West Hoxton property in early October - the start of snake season.

Since then Mr Cade estimated he's removed more than a dozen five foot eastern brown snakes. Red-bellies are "probably double that".

"We're definitely seeing bigger ones coming out," Mr Cade told 9news.com.au, explaining there's not necessarily more snakes – just healthier ones.

Sean Cade said he's had to remove more than 20 'very healthy' red-bellied black snakes this season.

"They're bigger than average. A couple days after the brown snake, we had a big black snake at Dural.

"For some reason they're a lot bigger and a lot healthier."

Snake season normally starts around mid September and runs to March.

'The mice are providing great food for snakes'

CSIRO mouse expert Steve Henry told 9news.com.au that the mouse plague which gripped central and western NSW at the start of the year is contributing to the healthy snakes being reported.

"The mice are providing great food for snakes," Mr Henry said.

"(But) while there are plenty of mice, there are also plenty of frogs due to the wet weather.

"We will see lots of health snakes but not necessary more of them.

"We're not going to see a plague of snakes."

The MouseAlert map, generated by CSIRO, shows the varying levels and spread of the mouse plague that is causing catastrophic damage across parts of NSW and Queensland.

Mr Henry said it's too early to predict whether farmers will see a second wave of the mouse plague.

Winter and wet weather have slowed the rate of breeding.

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"We're seeing patchy reports of high mice numbers, but farmers are also being very pro-active with baiting, which is helping to reduce numbers in some areas," Mr Henry said.

"We're not 100 per cent sure there will be a second wave until we get boots on the ground."

"But so far, people aren't being overrun with mice."

The mouse plague is estimated to have caused more than $1 billion in damage to crops.

Contact Raffaella at rc*********@******om.au.