Kroger Begins Accepting Apple Pay After Years of Holding Out

[rpmurray]

Here in The Netherlands all stores offer contactless payment and that also means that they automatically support Apple Pay. 79.1% of all counter payments are electronically (of which 0.4% credit, 78.7 debit) and 20.9% cash. Of non-cash transactions, 89% is done contactless.

I'm surprised they haven't outlawed cash because it's so anonymous that they can't use it to track you. So terrorists ...

 

[Paddle1]

I prefer to tap my card because Face ID makes Apple Pay awkward. Handy if the card isn't on you though.

Needless to say, no chance of me fiddling with an app.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Have been using Apple Pay at Kroger stores here in my neck of the woods for some time now. But good to know its embracing support. Apple Pay is here to stay, might as well accept it.

 

[cdsapplefan]

I need HEB Grocery chain and Walmart to follow this as well. Dam near everyone now has a iPhone 📱

 

[cdsapplefan]

Some of the restaurants I go to for some reason don’t even know they have Apple Pay available until I tell them and then they see that it works.

Walmart definitely needs to get with the program as they’re competitor Target 🎯 has already implemented Apple Pay

 

[GermanSuplex]

I’m surprised Wal-Mart still holds out. Their implementation of a digital wallet is awful.

 

[orangeadrenaline]

Kroger Pay isn’t that bad. Force press the app icon to launch into Kroger Pay and it passes your Kroger ID and payment method at one time.

Ironically, the Kroger credit card pays 5% cash back on mobile pay options like Apple Pay…but not Kroger pay.

 

[cdsapplefan]

Walmart one of the last holdouts

Big Texas grocery chain HEB needs to do Apple Pay, but there prices are generally lower than everyone else, so adding Apple Pay could make them start to raise there prices. Don’t forget we’re dealing with very high inflation as well. Price of eggs 🥚 went sky high

 

[cdsapplefan]

I’m surprised Wal-Mart still holds out. Their implementation of a digital wallet is awful.

Cause they like to Spy on your spending habits and you can’t spy with Apple Pay

 

[cdsapplefan]

Just like all restaurants don’t have or need wi-fi. All stores don’t have or need Apple Pay

 

[macsplusmacs]

Using the apple watch to pay at places REDUCES my stress.

Don't get me wrong, I know I am paying the same amount, just something about the frictionless experience of paying with the watch is something nice.


Bought a fast food meal a couple of weeks ago too.

Just plain nice.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

Does this mean Vitacost will accept Pay soon? That would be great — I order from iHerb mainly because they already do accept it.

 

[Paul_W]

I think payment networks should mandate NFC support by a specific date already. There's no reason for it to NOT be supported these days. Stores are disabling it for stupid reasons like trying to force customers to use their apps, which people generally don't want to do.

I seem to remember Visa & Mastercard doing this here in the Uk and Europe several years ago which is why everywhere is contactless enabled

 

[anshuvorty]

Give the people what they want!!! Unleash Apple Pay!!

 

[DotCom2]

I prefer to tap my card because Face ID makes Apple Pay awkward. Handy if the card isn't on you though.

Needless to say, no chance of me fiddling with an app.

This is where the Apple Watch comes in very very handy. NO fiddling with the app, no Face ID, you just need to have it on your wrist and double tap the side button. BING!

 

[orangeadrenaline]

With Kroger Pay, I can scan my CC and rewards number at the same time. How would this work with Apple pay?

Next best thing is add your Kroger ID to Wallet and then scan that followed by payment method.

 

[Allyance]

It is all about customer personal information. With Apple Pay the vendor only sees a transaction number, no personal info is transmitted. Walmart wants to know who you are and what you bought.

I used my watch all the time at Safeway and fast food places. It is fast, easy and secure.

 

[iGeneo]

I went back to shopping at Ralph's (Kroger) because of this. So easy with the Apple Watch.

Same here... Ralphs has accepted ApplePay for a few months now. I was shopping at Vons across town for this very reason. Back to Ralphs

 

[e-coli]

Harris Teeter needs Apple Pay, or even just contactless for that matter. Way behind the times.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1584552216181997570

The entire South is behind the times, so this is unsurprising.

 

[HMFIC03]

So does that leave Walmart and it's partners as the last holdout?

HEBs in Texas too.. I actually got blocked by them on Twitter for asking too many times apparently.

 

[azentropy]

I’d love to use Apple Pay more, but just seems that the places I shop the most frequent still don’t support it. Costco, Fry’s (Kroger), Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart. So even when I can use it I just kinda forget.

 

[Cybbe]

Next best thing is add your Kroger ID to Wallet and then scan that followed by payment method.

Apple will be forced to open access to NFC for other apps fairly soon due to new EU regulations (DMA - the requirement is likely to be in effect a year from now). Exactly how that will work we do not know, but it should at least allow apps to use NFC instead of QR codes.

I’m not sure if the regulation is robust enough to force an option to change thr “default” NFC app (Apple Pay comes up if you hover over an NFC reader) or the privileged shortcut from the Lock Screen (double click) to another payment app. Probably not.

 

[redbeard331]

It amazes me how far ahead Europe is when it comes to this stuff. Totally different world. Here in the US using a physical card is still a daily occurrence, Apple Pay terminals are more common than they once were but they’re still the exception rather than the rule. I still often get looked at like I just did some crazy wizard stuff when I try to use Apple Pay here. And in any restaurant, handing over your card is still the standard procedure. There’s no way to use Apple Pay even if you wanted to.

On the other hand, Just spent a week in London and I didn’t so much as even LOOK at my card the entire time, not even once. Or paper money either, for that matter. No matter where I went, even restaurants. Apple Pay/tap to pay terminals are e v e r y w h e r e and that’s what you’re expected to use. Just a normal part of daily life, as it should be.

What a lot of people don’t realize is that the United States is still a developing country, and behind the entire world in a lot of things.

And that’s being nice.

 

[dwaltwhit]

I hope they follow the model walgreens has with allowing the kroger plus card to be added to the wallet so I can tap once for that and then for payment

 

[B4U]

If they keep it at only certain locations in KY and OH, they are making my grocery shopping simpler by self elimination.
Why not make it nationwide?