Consumer Presented Mode (CPM)

What Is Consumer Presented Mode?

Consumer Presented Mode (CPM) is an EMVCo QR payment workflow in which the customer presents a QR code generated by a payment application or mobile wallet. The merchant scans the QR code to retrieve payment credentials or transaction-related information.

CPM is commonly used in mobile wallet ecosystems, transit payment systems, ticketing platforms, loyalty systems, and customer-based digital payment infrastructures where the consumer controls the QR generation process.

EMVCo QR specifications help standardize the structure of wallet QR payloads, enabling interoperability between mobile wallets, merchant acceptance systems, banks, and payment networks.

Consumer Presented Payment Flow

In Consumer Presented Mode, the customer initiates the payment by displaying a QR code on their mobile device. The merchant scans the QR using a POS system, payment terminal, or merchant application to complete the payment transaction.

Customer (displays wallet QR) → Merchant (scans customer QR) → Payment Network (processes transaction).

Key Characteristics of CPM

Wallet-Controlled QR: the QR code is generated by the customer's wallet or payment application.

Merchant Scanning: merchant systems scan the QR instead of customers scanning merchant QR codes.

Mobile-First Experience: CPM is heavily optimized for smartphone wallets and mobile payment flows.

Interoperable Wallet Ecosystem: EMVCo specifications improve compatibility across different wallet providers.

CPM vs Merchant Presented Mode

QR Generator — CPM: customer wallet; MPM: merchant system.

QR Scanner — CPM: merchant device; MPM: customer device.

Common Use Cases — CPM: wallet ecosystems & transit; MPM: retail merchant payments.

Customer Interaction — CPM: show QR to merchant; MPM: scan merchant QR.

Typical Environment — CPM: mobile-first ecosystems; MPM: merchant payment acceptance.

Consumer QR Payload Structure

Consumer Presented Mode QR payloads may contain wallet identifiers, tokenized credentials, account references, session identifiers, or payment authorization information depending on the wallet ecosystem and implementation model.

Example payload: 00020101021226580014A0000006770101110216WALLET1234567895204581253033565802IN5910EMVQRHUB6007DELHI6304A1B2

Wallet Identifier identifies the wallet ecosystem or issuer, Tokenized Credentials protect sensitive payment information, Session References support transaction correlation, and CRC Validation ensures payload integrity.

Benefits of Consumer Presented Mode

Mobile Wallet Integration: CPM works naturally with smartphone-based payment ecosystems and digital wallets.

Fast Customer Experience: customers can quickly present QR codes without scanning merchant displays.

Tokenized Payment Flows: wallet ecosystems can support secure tokenized transaction models.

Separate from MPM stickers: this site's generator builds merchant-presented payloads. CPM QR comes from the customer wallet, not from a shop printer.

Consumer Wallet Ecosystem

Consumer Presented Mode ecosystems may involve wallet providers, issuing banks, merchants, acquirers, payment gateways, QR interoperability networks, and mobile payment processors.

Wallet Provider generates customer-presented QR payloads, Merchant scans QR and accepts digital payments, and QR Network routes interoperable payment transactions.

Do not generate CPM with this MPM studio

The EMV tool on this site is merchant-presented. A wallet-generated consumer QR uses a different presentment. If you need CPM, that is a wallet product, not a shop sticker product.

Who holds the camera

CPM: the customer’s wallet shows a code, the merchant scans it. MPM: the merchant shows a code, the customer scans it. That single fact decides hardware (shop scanner versus customer camera), fraud (whose code can be overlaid), and which specification book you are in. Most counter stickers, and the EMV generator on this site, are MPM. Do not generate CPM with this MPM studio.

A wallet-generated consumer QR uses a different presentment and typically a different payload layout than QRCPS merchant-presented mode. If a partner asks for “consumer QR” from emvqrhub.com, the honest answer is that they need a wallet product, not a shop-sticker product.

Why shops still ask for CPM by accident

People say “dynamic QR” when they mean a POS screen (still MPM, Tag 01=12). People say “customer QR” when they mean loyalty. People say CPM when they saw a transit gate. Write the camera owner on the whiteboard before you write TLV. If the shop does not have a scanner, you are not in CPM no matter what the slide title says.

Benefits of true CPM (merchant-controlled scan, customer code can be tokenized in a wallet) do not transfer to a printed MPM sticker. Do not copy CPM marketing bullets onto an MPM operations manual. For official mode definitions, use EMVCo’s QR publications on emvco.com. We are not affiliated.

What to read instead if you are building a counter QR

Merchant Presented Mode, Point of Initiation, how to generate, and the cookbook. Use /emv/ to draft MPM, /decode/ to inspect. Keep this CPM page so testers stop filing “generator will not make a consumer QR” as a bug. It is out of scope by design.

Operator: Pankaj Kalra. This academy explains both presentments so the toolkit’s scope is clear. Money still moves on issuer rails either way.

Transit and fuel as mental anchors

When someone says CPM, ask whether the merchant has a fixed scanner aimed at a moving customer. Gates and some pumps fit. A noodle shop with only a phone camera does not. Anchoring on hardware stops you from buying the wrong presentment SKU. Wallet teams build CPM; sticker vendors build MPM. This site is in the second camp.

Wallet ecosystem note

CPM wallets implement their own encode rules and scanner UX. Merchant sticker vendors should not promise CPM because they saw it in a slide deck. Link here from RFPs so scope stays MPM for counter QR projects.