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Apple Pay Holdout Kroger Launches New 'Kroger Pay' Service
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I don't personally care what they do. If their conscience can live with it, so be it. If they had any talent, they wouldn't be working on that crap.
Elon, how do you find the time to post here while also building rocket ships and high performance electric cars?
Merchants don't pay Apple to use Apple Pay, but supporting Apple Pay still costs them money, since it may require updating their point-of-sale setup, adding decals, training staff, updating advertising materials and their website, and so on. See About Apple Pay for merchants for some of the details.
Oh no! QR codes must disappear from the face of the earth, and then that is exactly what they use... 
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It’s due to slow reasoning and out of touchness with the nowadays vibe of minimalist effectiveness. They think: smart phone: do many things with your phone: go to an app, then this and then that... genius! They prolly still use a paper map when driving off on a weekend trip. Not out of nostalgia, but since they might think that following computized itineries will make you dumb...
Decals are free from Apple. There’s no agreement with Apple required to support Apple Pay though. If the POS terminals already support NFC it’s just a matter of enabling it. There isn’t really any staff training needed for that beyond maybe a 60 second overview.
But yes, if the terminals need to be upgraded that is a cost. However most of these terminals were already upgraded to support chip cards a few years ago when it was mandated and the vast majority of those upgraded readers support NFC.
We have KingSoopers here, which is a chain owned by Kroger’s. For whatever reason they use Samsung Pay here but no Apple Pay or Android Pay.
You can already order your groceries in advance and pick them up at the curb or have them delivered but the app has no way to store your CC info. Same issue with Scan, Bag, Go. You still have pull out a CC to pay for your groceries. I don’t understand why it couldn’t just link to your Apple Pay or Android Pay on your phone? Seems stupid to create a qr based pay app, when the current KingSooper app already tracks your visits and is linked to your loyalty card.
I asked how many people used Samsung Pay? The cashier said almost no one because everyone uses Apple or Android Pay..oh the irony
You can already order your groceries in advance and pick them up at the curb or have them delivered but the app has no way to store your CC info. Same issue with Scan, Bag, Go. You still have pull out a CC to pay for your groceries. I don’t understand why it couldn’t just link to your Apple Pay or Android Pay on your phone? Seems stupid to create a qr based pay app, when the current KingSooper app already tracks your visits and is linked to your loyalty card.
I asked how many people used Samsung Pay? The cashier said almost no one because everyone uses Apple or Android Pay..oh the irony
A lot of people have an Apple Watch, where it works even quicker. I still have to pull my phone out of my pocket. With a separate app I don't see why I would use that versus my contactless debit card.
What’s sad is in Birmingham we had a chain called Western Supermarket that took Apple Pay but they just sold out to Publix and a new GreenWise store will be built that doesn’t take Apple Pay.
To add your credit card login to the main Kroger site. You add payment methods there. Once you go back to the Scan Bag Go it will provide you an option for payment method so you can elect your card and pay.
That said, I stopped. using the app and the scanner in the store and let someone scan for me. I realized I was not only paying for my groceries I was doing all the work too. If they want to pay me for my shopping time I will scan for them but otherwise they can do it.
Yet another reason for me to not support one of the largest grocery chains in WI I guess. Hy-Vee added support and made it even easier for me to shop there. My small town grocery store has had it for over 2 years as well.
This is sad the two places I shop the most (three if you include the occasional Publix visit) Kroger and Walmart don't support Apple Pay.
In GA (Atlanta area at least) there are next to no options besides these three. SMDH!!!
For the record I use my Apple watch for Apple Pay exclusively.
In GA (Atlanta area at least) there are next to no options besides these three. SMDH!!!
For the record I use my Apple watch for Apple Pay exclusively.
Yes, Vons does support Apple Pay. I’ve had issues where it wasn’t working properly, but they do accept it, and it works the majority of the time for me.
I wouldn’t say “nobody wants”. It’s more like ‘not everyone wants’. I would go so far as to say most people don’t care. This is based on the sheer numbers of overstuffed wallets I see at checkout stands filled with credit cards, and key rings loaded with scannable discount member tokens. Large numbers of people seem to have no problem rifling through their stack of credit cards for the right one to use for that retailer, to get the right rewards, etc. and then they flip through their member tags to scan their benefits code. Apple Pay can simplify some of the mechanics of that, but has no way to handle customer loyalty at the moment. So there’s really no incentive for someone to move to that payment system. Yes, Kroger May lose you and me, but they more than make up for it with their rewards addicted customers, who frankly don’t share our ergonomic sensibilities. Right now, for many customers Kroger is giving them all the convenience of Apple Pay, which many probably don’t use anyway, with all the benefits of their customer loyalty discounts, and add to that, simplifying for them the dig through their wallets and purses. It’s a win for them and Kroger.
I would think the current US government would be eager to rollout digital ID like that ... as the people who aren’t set up on it, are likely here illegally. I know the concern is that these kinds of things could be easily faked, but can they really? I mean, “Real ID” is the best they can seemingly do at the moment, and there’s plenty of ways to fake the requirements which are supposed to prove legal residency.
They take Samsung Pay because it works with their magnetic strip reader. No need for nfc. Actually pretty ingenious. I am surprised that it hasn't taken off more
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Oh geez, not again!
Some background:
2012: MCX launches CurrentC. Big retailers like Best Buy and Rite Aid sign up and are locked in (and prevented from accepting Apple Pay). CurrentC’s future is bright.
2015: CurrentC is struggling and still isn’t in production. Best Buy and Rite Aid both jump ship.
2016: CurrentC crashes and burns. MCX kills it off.
2017: JPMorgan Chase buys the smouldering ashes of CurrentC from MCX
2017: JPMorgan launches Chase Pay (no prizes for guessing what it’s made of)
2017: Kroger signs up for Chase Pay.
2019: Kroger finally launches Kroger Pay (or whatever they’re calling it now) in 10 stores. KrogerPay’s future is bright...
At least Chase Pay seems to be based on Visa/EMVco's QR code standard from what I can tell. Not that there are all that many places other than Shell, Starbucks and Best Buy that take it where I live, mind you.
Our local Post Office now has 3 updated self-service kiosks. All have NFC stickers but NFC is apparently not turned on. Why'd they bother?
Similarly Gap stores where their hardware indicates in its design and lighting that it has NFC but does not support it.