SINGAPORE - Cashier counters at outlets under the Dairy Farm group will no longer have multiple machines for payment.

Local bank UOB, national debit payment network Nets and the Dairy Farm Singapore Group have tied up to roll out 2,000 new terminals across the island by the end of the year, said Dairy Farm in a statement on Thursday (May 4).

This means that shoppers will use the same terminal to pay for purchases whether they are paying with ATM cards, credit or debit cards, ez-link cards or mobile phones.

The terminals, which can handle multiple cashless payment methods, will be introduced at more than 650 stores managed by Dairy Farm, including the Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains, 7-Eleven convenience stores and Guardian pharmacies.

The move is expected to shave nine to 11 seconds off each transaction, or 106 hours a day across all stores - making the checkout process 20 per cent to 30 per cent shorter.

Dairy Farm said that the collaboration is in line with the Government's Smart Nation drive and to "accelerate the retail sector's transition from using paper-based instruments to adopting electronic platforms that promote inter-operability, efficiency and security".