Walmart Trying To Re-Launch New Payment App
Things are changing at Walmart now that the company has (re) rolled out a new technology that is going to dramatically change the shopping experience in the way of replacing common interactions with cashiers.
This isn't the first time that they've introduced this technology, it was launched in stores several years ago but it never really caught on with consumers. Now the corporation is giving the payment app technology another go.
With the new technology, customers are able to download the payment app to their phone, known as the Walmart Scan & Go app, and after they do that they will be able to use the phone to scan the bar code of their purchases.
Once they've compiled a list of the things that they want to buy, they can pay for their purchases right on their phone and then show their proof of payment to a greeter as they exit the store.
It's already been introduced at a variety of locations across the US.
You will see the technology at Walmart locations in Florida, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, South Dakota, and Arkansas. Customers are already aware of and using the technology in a few places and if successful this time around, we can expect it to be introduced in other areas soon as well; there are plans for a full national roll-out of the technology.
If you want to buy things from Walmart and you don't have a cellphone there will be the option of going with a hand-held scanner and purchasing your items that way. And for those who don't want to connect a credit card to the app, they have the option of compiling a list and then bring that list up to a self checkout counter that will allow them to pay there.
Some customers have said that they enjoy the benefit this technology provides in allowing them to see the total of their purchases before they reach the register after they are done with their shopping.
It's no surprise that Walmart would introduce something like this to try and make the customer shopping experience more convenient. As well as take advantage of the opportunity to further compete with places like Amazon, in hoping to provide a more seamless and efficient shopping experience.
The Walmart Pay option is also competing with payment options like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Wallet.
Customers are increasingly choosing to make their payments using mobile wallets and so its fitting that Walmart would introduce a mobile payment option for shoppers like this one. For their business model, the checkout experience is still an area that shows it has room for improvement and perhaps this is the idea that can boost overall efficiency.
This is credited as the first payment system that has been introduced to the market by a US retailer, that can be accessed by both Android and Apple phone users.
Fighting Credit Card Fees
One other way that this is going to help Walmart is with their credit card fees and for those who don't know the company has already been engaged in a very public battle over that matter. Walmart had previously announced that it plans to stop accepting Visa at hundreds of Canadian locations because of transaction charges that it deems to be unacceptably high. However, Visa and Walmart ended up coming to an agreement and Visa is still accepted at stores in the country.
Many small business owners also criticize credit card fees and say that those fees are gouging them and hurting their bottom line.
It's estimated that Walmart pays over 100 million in credit card fees and Walmart Pay provides them the opportunity to try and avoid enduring those high costs.
Pics:
Jeff Chiu, STF via Houston Chronicle
Walmart
Southpark via Giphy
Time via Fortune
Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-lets-shoppers-check-out-without-cashiers-or-registers-2017-8
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/08/12/walmart-try-try-again/GYdH9nGK5AQ0eEpSqSJxrO/story.html
https://news.bitcoin.com/walmart-fintech-payment-app/
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/retail/article/Wal-Mart-to-launch-own-mobile-pay-system-6690437.php
http://fortune.com/2016/04/15/walmart-pay-mobile/
https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/08/12/walmart-try-try-again/GYdH9nGK5AQ0eEpSqSJxrO/story.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/walmart-visa-credit-card-payment-fees-1.3639473
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/visa-walmart-1.3923039
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/us-business/wal-mart-visa-declare-truce-in-credit-card-fee-dispute/article33520763/
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Cool to know that.
I have used their app to pay through the registers and kinda baffled me that the cashiers don't know much about it.
It is a hit and miss.
Hopefully it's beneficial for everyone.
Keep on steemit!!!
I know what you mean. I rarely see anyone else in line use the app when I am in there. I have gotten used to saying I am using Walamrt Pay..LOL because the cashier would stare at me like" Dude you gotta pay for stuff even though the terminal says "Connected.. Authoring."
That is very interesting. Maybe they could use ripple? lol I like the guy with the cart walking backwards
Whoa, at first I thought "Interesting concept" but by the time I read
a DING went off in my head. This is definitely the future! Amazon Go and whatknot; people want to save time. Time is money. It would feel more right for the customer to scan the items as they collect them rather then collect items then have the items re-collected by a cashier at the end.
This is especially relevant in california where they banned plastic bags and some people don't use bags or just put their purchases in boxes.
BENEFITS:
Love your posts! Very much my kind of content; health , technology and philosophy behind it. May be one of my favorite authors now :)
If that allows crypto payments then i will be great.
looks good but we will have more people faffing with their phones at shops walking into stuff. Hurry up with the robots
Honestly I always get more tired waiting in their lines then the actual shopping , they finally decided to step up the game and take it to the next level @doitvoluntairly
So this means I don't have to "check out" behind a line of screaming kids or wait for grandpa and his fumbling wallet? LOL Sign me up!!
Definitely worth an upvote and a resteem :]
They already have been using this option in Sam's Clubs for a while now. It seems to be catching on, especially with contractors and such.
Not so long from now crypto currencies will also accepted as a mode of payment to all retail store world wide.
If that going to be implement both the customer and the vendor will save from the bank charges.