Payment QR codes are already fairly common, with a bunch of companies providing similar features, including Visa, Mastercard and Walmart. The biggest difference is that many existing QR code features are marketed to retailers, while a PayPal account is free to open and hundreds of millions of people already have one. That difference means more small merchants can now provide contactless payments in their stores without needing to buy new equipment and second-hand sellers on Craigslist and OfferUp can do the same thing. The news have hit the market after significant growth in cash skepticism, even though the World Health Organization has said it's fine to handle banknotes so long as you wash your hands afterward. 51% of US consumers said they are using cash less often or not at all since the pandemic started, according to an April survey from Mastercard.

https://www.cnet.com/news/paypal-looks-to-make-it-easier-for-you-to-use-contactless-payments-in-stores/