Walmart did this with a code, I never see anyone using their app. I don't want to give them (don't trust them) to keep my bank/card info secure. Nope I'll continue to use Samsung Pay on my far superior Samsung Galaxy S8+
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Apple Pay Holdout Kroger Launches New 'Kroger Pay' Service
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While I don't understand much of your rant, I will take this moment to say a version of blockchain will be the solution to avoiding digital regulation.
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lol - newbie
I'll take "came to an Apple fanboy site to post anti-Apple comment" for $600
Same here - I asked about it often when I go into the store, which is often since our local King Sooper (Kroger owned) has a significantly better produce section than the Safeway that is much closer to my home.
Nobody wants a separate payment system for every damn store they visit. This is maddening. Fortunately I can now shop at Hy-Vee and Target with Apple Pay instead. This past weekend my wife needed to run to Hy-Vee and forgot her wallet at home. She was able to use her Apple Watch instead of driving back home while they push her cart back to the freezer because she remembered I told her about that a few weeks ago. It’s so handy, I love it.
The dominoes are falling in Apple’s favor now. Enough big companies support Apple Pay that companies will be forced to adopt it as more people come to expect it. Otherwise they will lose a competitive advantage. I’ll often go for a walk on my lunch break only with my Apple Watch, listening to music or podcasts with my AirPods, and then stop by somewhere and pay for lunch with my Watch. It’s really freaking nice and feels futuristic.
The dominoes are falling in Apple’s favor now. Enough big companies support Apple Pay that companies will be forced to adopt it as more people come to expect it. Otherwise they will lose a competitive advantage. I’ll often go for a walk on my lunch break only with my Apple Watch, listening to music or podcasts with my AirPods, and then stop by somewhere and pay for lunch with my Watch. It’s really freaking nice and feels futuristic.
States are starting to test digital drivers licenses too. I believe Louisiana already has it rolled out to everyone. Your ID/license is/was pretty much the last physical card you would have to carry.
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It’s two factors, honestly. Fear of alienating retailers with further technology changes after the mandated chip card rollout. Plus, fear of alienating consumers by making things more “complicated”.
Both are bogus concerns IMO and they missed a golden opportunity mandating contactless support when chip support was mandated a few years ago when the writing was already on the wall that that was the future.
Yes this so much this! My health insurance and car insurance cards are digital. My wallet is very slim nowadays. I still carry a card for backup along with license, a couple $50 bills for emergencies and to make muggers go away (God forbid), and maybe a gift card or two. Unfortunately I still need my work ID to access the building after hours but I’m thinking about just stowing that in my car. My iPhone unlocks my house, opens my garage door, and disarms my alarm system, but I still need my car and office keys. Looking forward to the day when I only need my iPhone or Watch for everything!
Kroger Exec: So we found that our customers didn’t want to use their phones to make payments at our stores, so we’ve spent a lot of time and money developing a new way for customers to use their phones to make payments at our stores. Yours truly, Over paid executive with a golden parachute just in case I turn this company to sh*t.
Trust me on this, the IT department is not behind this. Most things IT does comes as a request from some other part of the organization and usually without even consulting with IT if it's a good idea or not.
If you have money to flush down the drain, good idea. Why not come up with a music streaming service, Kroger Music and Kroger Video. Will be just as successful. 
I couldn’t care less if they track my purchases. I like the discount I get with the card, and the coupons they send in the mail. Heaven forbid they know I like to buy a certain brand of mash potatoes or orange juice!
This sounds pathetic. In all honesty I wouldn’t use any other solution except Apple Pay (maybe Google Pay if I had an Android). This includes regular contactless payment with plastic. Luckily I live in Northern Europe so almost every single place excepts (like over 99%) contactless which mean in my case Apple Pay. I don’t even carry any plastic with me anymore. Faster and more secure than any other form of payment.
It's all about tracking your purchases and tying them back to demographics, and to you personally. Same reason why Walmart is not adopting Apple Pay, they don't want to lose their telemetry.
Apple Pay uses a one-time payment authorization code, not a static card number, so it isn't trackable.
Kroger Pay presumably just bills the credit card you've set up in their app, so they can track your purchases.
PAY CASH (or Apple Pay of course) if you care about things like this.
Apple Pay uses a one-time payment authorization code, not a static card number, so it isn't trackable.
Kroger Pay presumably just bills the credit card you've set up in their app, so they can track your purchases.
PAY CASH (or Apple Pay of course) if you care about things like this.
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What's a Kroger?
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Our local chain, Giant Eagle, has accepted Apple Pay since forever and they're still able to track you if you use their Advantage Card (via physical card or their app).
Loyalty cards aren't used by all shoppers. I know some people who refuse to use them to avoid tracking, and pay the higher prices (or shop elsewhere). You make a good point about an alternative for Kroger though, they could still track Apple Pay users by their club card whatever they call it.
Right, that was kind of what I was getting at. You don't need to use your loyalty card there to shop there.
No, seriously, Kroger are the guys that have finally cracked the “let’s have a proprietary payment system that involves multiple steps, cameras, bar codes, and doesn’t work with smart watches” thing. They nailed it. Those bozos at Target are amateurs. CVS had no idea what they were even trying to do. But Kroger’s I.T. Dept. is staffed by top notch people. Top notch.
What a bunch of idiots. I certainly wouldn't be surprised to see this fail miserably and they ultimately adopt Apple Pay. Give it a year or two.
You can also just sign up for the loyalty programs with bogus information. Some places don’t even make you complete the information for their loyalty programs. I know when I asked to sign up at Safeway years ago they gave me the loyalty card and the form to fill out with my info and send in. I never filled it out and it worked fine.
Then use an untrackable form of payment like Apple Pay if they accept it, or cash. Buying prepaid gift cards (for that store brand or Visa/Amex/MC) is also an option.
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I don’t get why people are ******** on IT people in this thread. Something like this would have been schemed up in a marketing department and then the IT team just does what it’s told. I’d be willing to bet many on the IT staff did it begrudgingly and wished they would just allow Apple Pay/Google Pay.
Because we all have experience with IT departments and they are unfailingly the worst.
I am a little bummed. I live in Northern Kentucky and work in Cincinnati, just a few miles from Kroger's HQ. I would have loved for them to allow Apple Pay. Unless they extend the QR code to work on my Apple Watch, Kroger Pay will be far less convenient.
I look forward to using this like I use Walmart Pay every day.
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