China runs on QR codes even though they’re illegal — but they won’t be for long

China issued the draft of a new law that will legalize payment through QR codes last week, ending a two-year ban on the technology. For most of those living China-side, it’s a colossal surprise to learn that the technology was banned in the first place, as every merchant from 7/11 to the local coffee vendor seems to be using QR codes unhindered.
China’s central bank issued a law in March 2014 to stop payments made by scanning QR codes with mobile devices. China&rs