Walmart Announces Apple Pay Competitor 'Walmart Pay' for iOS

[MacRumors]

Walmart today introduced its own mobile payments service called "Walmart Pay" built into its Walmart app on iOS and Android. The new Apple Pay competitor will roll out in select Walmart stores in the U.S. this month, followed by a nationwide launch within the first half of 2016.

Walmart Pay's QR code-based checkout process will involve 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 will automatically be sent to the Walmart app.

The new payments solution will only work in Walmart stores and supports any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card. Walmart says that 22 million customers actively use its Walmart app each month, placing it among the top three retail apps in the App Store and Google Play.

Walmart is among a handful of retailers that have refused to support Apple Pay since its U.S. launch in October 2014. The retailer is instead one of over a dozen retailers committed to the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) consortium and its yet-to-launch rival payments service CurrentC.

Walmart's future plans to support Apple Pay remain undisclosed, but the company's senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said Walmart Pay allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future."

"The simplicity and ease of Walmart Pay comes not only from how it works, but also in how it's been built," said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president, services, Walmart U.S. "We made a strategic decision to design Walmart Pay to work with almost any smartphone and accept almost any payment type - even allowing for the integration of other mobile wallets in the future. The result is an innovation that will make the ease of mobile payments a reality for millions of Americans."

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

Article Link: Walmart Announces Apple Pay Competitor 'Walmart Pay' for iOS

 

[bkaus]

Oh yea, the simplicity of an app for every store. And I really want Walmart to have my credit card info saved on their servers.

 

[Voytech]

Maybe it will let you donate to their employees for christmas?

 

[chromite]

Everyone's thinking the exact same thing... "seriously?"

 

[AlliFlowers]

Last weekend I went to the local chain grocery store, same distance from my house as WalMart. While I was there, they announced they were now accepting Apple Pay. They also had everything on my grocery list, and weren't filled with "people of WalMart."

Buhbye WalMart.

 

[designcouch]

Yeah, so good luck with that Walmart. I don't shop with you anyway, and now I have yet another reason NOT to.

 

[spiderman0616]

This sounds every bit as fiddly and awkward as CurrentC. What a freaking joke.

 

[vmachiel]

Really? Really Walmart? I'm not trusting you with my data, and are you really going to compete? Come on...

 

[captain cadet]

I cannot see this taking off - the fact that I can use apple pay in other stores where I can tap my phone next to the reader and it bring up apple pay automatically.
Here I have to unlock, find the app, open it and then do press a button to pay!
I might as well get my wallet out and card...

 

[nunes013]

But why..?

 

[Steve.P.JobsFan]

Garbage.

Oh, and a "good job" to Walmart for also using Helvetica Neue for the word "pay" - exactly like Apple.

Wish CurrentC would just die already.

 

[nolankvn]

Nevermind the fact that it's Walmart, what's really bizarre is that so many of these companies are trying to get into mobile payments with QR code scanning. What a waste of everyone's time.

 

[newdeal]

uh yeah except for its not easy because there are more steps required to pay and an app you need to download...Apple pay is great for its simplicity although I only have a 50% success rate so far at stores. One gave me a card error message on the terminal (so then I tapped the physical card and it worked fine) and the other kept saying to hold it near the reader even though it was on the reader and the reader was what made apple pay activate so I know it was in the right area. That problem was also just solved by tapping the actual card

 

[mgroot]

If this is simplicity and ease of use...

Walmart Pay's QR code-based checkout process will involve opening the Walmart app, selecting Walmart Pay, activating the camera, scanning the code displayed at the register

 

[jayducharme]

This sounds every bit as fiddly and awkward as CurrentC.

It basically IS CurrentC. Remember that Walmart was part of that consortium. I can't see how this method of payment will be any more convenient than simply dumping all your items on a checkout counter and swiping with plastic. It seems like Walmart is making a bigger chore out of paying them.

 

[Snapper Cridge]

Walmart Announces Apple Pay Competitor 'Walmart Pay' for iOS that Nobody Will Use

 

[Thunderhawks]

Simplicity.......hahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Scanning QR codes is basically mobile payment for the sake of mobile payment. It's not better than credit cards in any way.

 

[AustinIllini]

Walmart won't quit.

That whole process sounds like a pain in the behind

 

[koulmj]

I don't even like buying cat food from those *******s because I don't trust the bastards

 

[MarkThomas1971]

Walmart today introduced its own mobile payments service called "Walmart Pay" built into its Walmart app on iOS and Android. The new Apple Pay competitor will roll out in select Walmart stores in the U.S. this month, followed by a nationwide launch within the first half of 2016.

Walmart Pay's QR code-based checkout process will involve 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 will automatically be sent to the Walmart app.

The new payments solution will only work in Walmart stores and supports any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card. Walmart says that 22 million customers actively use its Walmart app each month, placing it among the top three retail apps in the App Store and Google Play.

Walmart is among a handful of retailers that have refused to support Apple Pay since its U.S. launch in October 2014. The retailer is instead one of over a dozen retailers committed to the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) consortium and its yet-to-launch rival payments service CurrentC.

Walmart's future plans to support Apple Pay or CurrentC remain undisclosed, but the company's senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said Walmart Pay allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future."Walmart App is free on the App Store for iPhone and Apple Watch. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Walmart Announces Apple Pay Competitor 'Walmart Pay' for iOS

 

[majkom]

still dont get it, what is so awesome about apple pay? I am using nfc debit/credit cards for years, why should I tap phone instead of card near the reader? where is the benefit?

 

[andiwm2003]

well, many people go to walmart only once a month and buy a huge amount of stuff. so having a little less convenient way to pay isn't a big deal if you are mainly interested in saving money. I don't shop at walmart but I can see this working for many people. and competition in the payment systems is good unless you want apple to gain a monopoly and raising prices for their service.....

 

[Kissaragi]

Just support both and let consumers decide!

 

[ronntaylor]

I understand Walmart's reasoning. As convoluted as this sounds, the amount of customers using it is a win win for them.