'Walmart Pay' Expands Nationwide as Apple Pay Holdout Continues [Updated]

[MacRumors]

Walmart has announced that its mobile payments solution Walmart Pay is now available in 19 more U.S. states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.

Last month, Walmart Pay widely expanded to Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Washington D.C. capital area. The service initially launched in Arkansas and Texas in May.

Walmart Pay is built into the Walmart app [Direct Link] for iOS and Android and works at any checkout lane with any major credit, debit, pre-paid, or Walmart gift card.

The payments solution is based upon a QR code checkout process that involves opening the Walmart app, selecting Walmart Pay, activating the camera, scanning the code displayed at the register, and waiting for the cashier to finish bagging your items. An electronic receipt is automatically sent to the app.

Walmart Pay is now available at more than 4,600 stores in all 50 states.

Walmart is among a handful of retailers that have refused to support Apple Pay since its American launch in October 2014. The retailer was originally committed to the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) consortium and its now indefinitely postponed payments service CurrentC before launching Walmart Pay.

In late 2015, Walmart senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said that Walmart Pay allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future," providing at least some hope that the retailer may eventually accept rival payment services such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay at its stores.

Walmart Pay's resistance to Apple Pay continues despite some other large U.S. retailers including Best Buy and Rite Aid reversing course and accepting the iPhone-based payments service at their stores. Walmart rival Target, meanwhile, is developing a QR code-based mobile wallet solution of its own.

The Walmart app [Direct Link] is free on the App Store for iPhone and Apple Watch.

Update: Walmart announced on Wednesday that Walmart Pay is now available at all of its more than 4,600 U.S. stores nationwide.

Article Link: 'Walmart Pay' Expands Nationwide as Apple Pay Holdout Continues [Updated]

 

[rosalindavenue]

QR codes in stores with very poor cell service and no wifi? User experience will be terrible

 

[LukasValine]

I look forward reading the article "Walmart Begins Accepting Apple Pay After Quietly Discontinuing Walmart Pay".

 

[WordsmithMR]

Who in their right mind would want to use this. Is there some sort of incentive? % cash back?

 

[Michael Scrip]

Wal-Mart originally went with MCX to avoid paying credit card interchange fees.

But now the Wal-Mart Pay app will accept major credit, debit, pre-paid, or Walmart gift card.

So if they abandoned MCX and are finally willing to accept credit card fees... why not just offer Apple Pay?

 

[aajeevlin]

What's the point really? Nothing against Walmart, but I'm not a fan of this type of payment method. I need something like Apple Pay (or simply a credit card) to shop at every single store. Not one app per store.

 

[inhalexhale1]

Who in their right mind would want to use this. Is there some sort of incentive? % cash back?

That would be the only reason I see it catching on.

 

[BruiserB]

Wal-Mart originally went with MCX to avoid paying credit card interchange fees.

But now the Wal-Mart Pay app will accept major credit, debit, pre-paid, or Walmart gift card.

So if they abandoned MCX and are finally willing to accept credit card fees... why not just offer Apple Pay?

And since the card isn't physically present...they are paying a HIGHER card not present fee just as if you had ordered online from walmart.com

 

[freepomme]

[At the counter]

....Do you take Apple Pay?

 

[dsizomutt]

I used Walmart Pay for the first time the other day. I was skeptical at first. I would still prefer Apple Pay to be accepted but with Walmart Pay it automatically submits your receipt to their savings catcher program. If a nearby store sells the same product for less, you get the difference on your gift card balance. Before Walmart Pay you had to scan your paper receipt with the app to submit it, so it's nice that this step is skipped.

 

[Andres Cantu]

So, how's LG Pay and Chase Pay coming along?

 

[Madmic23]

The one thing I like about this is getting the receipt on your phone. I hate getting all these paper receipts, and I wish Apple Pay could store receipts in Wallet somehow.

Other than that one thing, this looks pretty lame and I can't see it gaining too much traction due to all of the obvious flaws.

 

[smacrumon]

Any stats on the number of customers using this payment method and customer satisfaction using it?

Side note: didn't realize how many Walmart stores are scattered around the nation. A case of quantity over quality possibly.

 

[Saipher]

After all that work, you might as well just start signing checks...

 

[Buckeyestar]

The one thing I like about this is getting the receipt on your phone. I hate getting all these paper receipts, and I wish Apple Pay could store receipts in Wallet somehow.

Other than that one thing, this looks pretty lame and I can't see it gaining too much traction due to all of the obvious flaws.

Actually, Meijer already does this when you use their MPerks card. I get the receipt in my app and I get to use Apple Pay. And I can even store the reward card in my Apple Wallet.

 

[69Mustang]

Any stats on the number of customers using this payment method and customer satisfaction using it?

Side note: didn't realize how many Walmart stores are scattered around the nation. A case of quantity over quality possibly.

Probably a little early since they are still just rolling it out. Even if there were stats, I'd be a little skeptical since it would be Walmart reporting on Walmart and they'd have a vested interest in saying customers like it. Anecdotally, every MR member who stated they used it said it was quick, easy, and they got their savings catcher. Grain of salt and all.

Yeah, Walmart has a crap ton of stores and the majority are supercenters. When you imagine a fair percentage of their customers already use the Walmart app it's not that great a leap to think they'd get a fair amount of participation. Even if it's for nothing other than the automated savings catcher.

And since the card isn't physically present...they are paying a HIGHER card not present fee just as if you had ordered online from walmart.com

Is this an assumption or do you know this to be true?

I used Walmart Pay for the first time the other day. I was skeptical at first. I would still prefer Apple Pay to be accepted but with Walmart Pay it automatically submits your receipt to their savings catcher program. If a nearby store sells the same product for less, you get the difference on your gift card balance. Before Walmart Pay you had to scan your paper receipt with the app to submit it, so it's nice that this step is skipped.

Your quote mirrors most of the others I've seen from forum members who've actually used it.

 

[bigRedMachine76]

Walmart Pay is now live in every store in the US. This article is incorrect.

I was skeptical at first, but with Touch ID and 3D Touch integration, it really is seamless to do this. It is literally the most convenient alternative that could be made to ApplePay.

Unlock phone, 3D Touch the Walmart icon, unlock WalmartPay with TouchID, and scan the QR code. I've used it 10+ times and it takes 5 seconds or less to do it.

 

[69Mustang]

Walmart Pay is now live in every store in the US. This article is incorrect.

I was skeptical at first, but with Touch ID and 3D Touch integration, it really is seamless to do this. It is literally the most convenient alternative that could be made to ApplePay.

Unlock phone, 3D Touch the Walmart icon, unlock WalmartPay with TouchID, and scan the QR code. I've used it 10+ times and it takes 5 seconds or less to do it.

This comment screws with the prevailing narrative. Please delete and post something more appropriate. Something like "No Apple Pay, will not shop there" will be perfectly acceptable.

 

[macbeta]

Wal-Mart originally went with MCX to avoid paying credit card interchange fees.

But now the Wal-Mart Pay app will accept major credit, debit, pre-paid, or Walmart gift card.

So if they abandoned MCX and are finally willing to accept credit card fees... why not just offer Apple Pay?

Pure Stubbiness!

 

[solarguy17]

Walmart Pay is now live in every store in the US. This article is incorrect.

I was skeptical at first, but with Touch ID and 3D Touch integration, it really is seamless to do this. It is literally the most convenient alternative that could be made to ApplePay.

Unlock phone, 3D Touch the Walmart icon, unlock WalmartPay with TouchID, and scan the QR code. I've used it 10+ times and it takes 5 seconds or less to do it.

It's great that it takes 5 sec but Apple Pay literally take a sec or less. No to mention I trust Apple more then Walmart. That may seem silly but I just do.
That being said I wish Walmart could somehow use the NFC chip to make it that fast. Becuase getting the receipts auto entered into the saving catcher would be really nice.
[doublepost=1467671780][/doublepost]

Actually, Meijer already does this when you use their MPerks card. I get the receipt in my app and I get to use Apple Pay. And I can even store the reward card in my Apple Wallet.

This is how Walmart should do it. Let you use Apple Pay and still auto detect the Walmart receipt and auto upload it. But that would promote Apple Pay and hurt what they want to do.

 

[bigRedMachine76]

It's great that it takes 5 sec but Apple Pay literally take a sec or less. No to mention I trust Apple more then Walmart. That may seem silly but I just do.
That being said I wish Walmart could somehow use the NFC chip to make it that fast. Becuase getting the receipts auto entered into the saving catcher would be really nice.
[doublepost=1467671780][/doublepost]
This is how Walmart should do it. Let you use Apple Pay and still auto detect the Walmart receipt and auto upload it. But that would promote Apple Pay and hurt what they want to do.

I'm not saying I wouldn't love them to get ApplePay. ApplePay takes more than "less than a second" so we are talking maybe a 3 second difference in the two, but that's beside the point. Of course ApplePay would be the better alternative. Heck, if Apple built a magnetic strip in their phones like Samsung, that would be a better alternative. But I don't see any of that happening anytime soon.

When you think of it from a logistical standpoint, it makes perfect sense as to why Walmart doesn't accept ApplePay. Why would a company with 5,000+ stores change out all of their card readers(average of 25 per store) just to appease a small percentage of its customers that want to use NFC payments? And what money would that save them on a per swipe basis? Absolutely none.

So they developed an alternative. And as my original comment stated, I believe its the best possible alternative ANY 3rd party app could come up with using both TouchID and 3D Touch. Oh, and Walmart used its stores existing card readers, and the only cost other than development is 3-4 extra seconds on the customer end. While at the same time, they're acquiring customer-specific spending data. So it pays dividends at almost no cost to them.

 

[Carlanga]

Who in their right mind would want to use this. Is there some sort of incentive? % cash back?

The same people that use Apple Pay? There is no incentive that is different vs Apple Pay except one or two taps.

 

[Michael Scrip]

Why would a company with 5,000+ stores change out all of their card readers(average of 25 per store) just to appease a small percentage of its customers that want to use NFC payments? And what money would that save them on a per swipe basis? Absolutely none.

So they developed an alternative.

Wal-Mart already had to change out their card readers with the switch to Chip cards.

These new readers could have NFC capabilities built into them... just turned off. (I hope so anyway)

Even if Wal-Mart didn't plan on accepting NFC payments right away... it seems silly to install readers that didn't have NFC at all.

Because... yes... they'd have to switch them out... again.

 

[A MacBook lover]

You got this Walmart! Woo go Walmart pay!!

 

[Abazigal]

Walmart Pay is now live in every store in the US. This article is incorrect.

I was skeptical at first, but with Touch ID and 3D Touch integration, it really is seamless to do this. It is literally the most convenient alternative that could be made to ApplePay.

Unlock phone, 3D Touch the Walmart icon, unlock WalmartPay with TouchID, and scan the QR code. I've used it 10+ times and it takes 5 seconds or less to do it.

As opposed to just double-pressing the home button from the lock screen?