Walmart Pay is a free service that will be available on Apple and Android devices and allow payments with any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift cards, the company said. Bundled inside the Walmart mobile app, the new system will work only on the retailer stores so customers can pay for their shopping with a mobile phone, and it will be compatible with both Android and iOS.
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The feature, launching today in select Walmart stores near the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, allows customers to pay for purchases using their mobile device.
“We made a strategic decision to design Walmart Pay to work with nearly any smartphone and accept nearly any payment type”, says Mr. Daniel Eckert, VP of services.
Wal-Mart will debut Walmart Pay, the retailer’s new mobile payment system, and will battle Samsung, Google and Apple in the crowded mobile pay market. Then you’ll have to scan the QR code displayed at the register to confirm the payment and you’re done. This suggests that other mobile payment services, such as Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay, could also be integrated down the road. “We believe Walmart pay will make the ease of mobile payment as reality for millions of Americans while improving the checkout experience for our customers”. The Merchant Customer Exchange – a consortium of retailers that includes Wal-Mart and Target Corp. – also is testing a mobile-payment app after years of discussions.
Walmart said it will continue to support CurrentC along side Walmart Pay. Walmart Pay will let you use your iPhone’s Touch ID sensor to sign into the Walmart app instead of your password, but you can’t use your fingerprint to check out. You associate scans and your transaction is completed; an e-reciept is delivered to your app and you can view this any time you wish.
Customers in the store must open their Walmart app and select a payment feature.
The number of tap-capable mobile payment machines in the United States is expected to surpass 1.5 million this year.
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Walmart is one of the biggest supporters of the upcoming CurrentC payments platform, which has forced many retailers to opt out of Apple Pay until only recently. However, Walmart Pay can not be used at other retailers.
