"Hey Siri" support and possibly wireless charging case alongside AirPower charging mat.
AirPods and AirPower: Everything We Know
'Walmart Pay' Mobile Wallet Rolls Out to Nearly 600 Stores in Texas and Arkansas
After an initial announcement late last year, and a small test rollout, Walmart is now beginning a statewide launch of its in-house mobile payments solution Walmart Pay in Texas and Arkansas.
All 480 Walmart retail locations in Texas will support the mobile wallet service beginning today, as well as the 110 stores in Arkansas. Although the company continues to reiterate its plans for a wide-release rollout in the United States soon, it's still yet to give customers a specific launch window for Walmart Pay beyond the two states announced today.
Walmart was part of an original collection of retailers who opposed Apple Pay in favor of an alternative mobile payments service, CurrentC, along with companies like Best Buy and Target. Best Buy has since backed support for Apple Pay, while Target is working on its own QR code solution, similar to Walmart Pay.
Although the launch of Walmart Pay suggests that the company isn't interested in integrating with other digital wallets -- like Apple Pay -- down the line, last year Walmart senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said the QR code service allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future." Eckert continued to describe Walmart Pay as "an innovation that will make the ease of mobile payments a reality for millions of Americans.”
The Walmart App can be downloaded from the App Store for free [Direct Link].
All 480 Walmart retail locations in Texas will support the mobile wallet service beginning today, as well as the 110 stores in Arkansas. Although the company continues to reiterate its plans for a wide-release rollout in the United States soon, it's still yet to give customers a specific launch window for Walmart Pay beyond the two states announced today.
“We can’t wait to hear what our customers and associates in Texas [and Arkansas] think of Walmart Pay. The service was built to make shopping easier and faster, something we know our customers want,” said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president, Services, Walmart U.S. “Walmart Pay is a powerful addition to our app, a tool that we’re using to transform the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting our online assets and our stores for customers. The service opens the door to new and better ways we can serve the 140 million customers who shop our stores each week.”Unlike Apple Pay's NFC and Touch ID system, there are a few added steps to successfully check out with Walmart Pay: users have to navigate to the Walmart app on their phone, tap through to the Walmart Pay section, and then scan a QR code displayed at the register. Users can set up the app to be protected by a PIN or Touch ID, and the company says that "mostly any card" can be directly linked as a payment method for the service.
Walmart was part of an original collection of retailers who opposed Apple Pay in favor of an alternative mobile payments service, CurrentC, along with companies like Best Buy and Target. Best Buy has since backed support for Apple Pay, while Target is working on its own QR code solution, similar to Walmart Pay.
Although the launch of Walmart Pay suggests that the company isn't interested in integrating with other digital wallets -- like Apple Pay -- down the line, last year Walmart senior vice president of services Daniel Eckert said the QR code service allows "for integration of other mobile wallets in the future." Eckert continued to describe Walmart Pay as "an innovation that will make the ease of mobile payments a reality for millions of Americans.”
The Walmart App can be downloaded from the App Store for free [Direct Link].
Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Walmart Pay
[ 304 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
36 months ago
"The service was built to make shopping easier and faster, something we know our customers want,"
If you really meant that, you'd embrace Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay that are already in abundance. Forcing customers to download, install, sign up for, and configure your app just for your store is not something that customers want to do.
If you really meant that, you'd embrace Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay that are already in abundance. Forcing customers to download, install, sign up for, and configure your app just for your store is not something that customers want to do.
36 months ago
Less convenient, less secure, and more data logging! Sounds like a winner!
36 months ago
No thanks. I'm not going to download an individual app to pay at every store I shop at. Just as I'm not going to download an app to watch videos from every cable channel either.
Apple Pay is quick and easy, this is neither.
Apple Pay is quick and easy, this is neither.
36 months ago
This is amazingly great news.
I can use it every time I shop at Walmart.
That would be the 1 time each year that I buy a $2.29 bottle of El Yucateco Chile Habanero XXXtra Hot Sauce, 4 fl oz.
I can use it every time I shop at Walmart.
That would be the 1 time each year that I buy a $2.29 bottle of El Yucateco Chile Habanero XXXtra Hot Sauce, 4 fl oz.
36 months ago
While I agree with the majority opinion here that Walmart should embrace the existing digital payment options, I don't get the criticism of this new system. How is it different than using the Starbucks app to get your coffee? I don't see an uproar about that application, in fact it seems quite popular.
36 months ago
So how is this faster and easier than Apple Pay?
It will not be faster. It is just better for Walmart.
36 months ago
While I agree with the majority opinion here that Walmart should embrace the existing digital payment options, I don't get the criticism of this new system. How is it different than using the Starbucks app to get your coffee? I don't see an uproar about that application, in fact it seems quite popular.
I don't know, I don't use the Starbucks app either.
Apple pay is so quick and easy, I don't even have to unlock my phone. It's much faster than using the chip on my credit card. The Wal-Mart app is so much more convoluted and time consuming from the description. Who wants to go through that hassle, would just be easier to use a credit card at that point.
[ Read All Comments ]
The Gardena Smart System is now compatible with Apple's HomeKit, thanks to the availability of a software update that brings HomeKit integration to Gardena devices like the Smart Water Control,...
Apple this week was awarded a patent for a potential Apple Watch design featuring a flexible microLED display that integrates with and encompasses almost the entire watch band.
Titled...
In his wide-ranging research note today touching on Apple's product releases for 2019, Ming-Kuo provided a glimpse at upcoming AirPods, iPads, iPhones, displays and MacBook Pros. Regarding the...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Astropad to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Luna Display adapter. The Luna Display is a handy little dongle that's designed to...
In late November, Apple launched a limited time promotion that offers up to $100 in additional credit when trading in an iPhone 6 through iPhone 8 towards the purchase of a new iPhone XS or...
Apple today filed its 2018 Conflict Minerals Report with the SEC as part of its commitment to supplier responsibility.
Apple said it remains "deeply committed" to upholding human...
Apple's Beats by Dre brand today unveiled a new NBA collection, with Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones available in six colorways representing the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers,...
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey today commented on the possibility of an edit button for tweets, suggesting Twitter is considering a feature that might let people go back and add clarifications or...
