Fareway Now Accepts PayPal, Venmo In-Store

Blackhawk Network enabling digital payment options at all of grocer’s stores

3/11/2022

Fareway's acceptance of PayPal and Venmo in-store "expands on [the grocer's] commitment to provide the best in customer service, with personalized and efficient options for our customers," according to Chief Retail Officer Mike McCormick.

Fareway is now accepting PayPal and Venmo as forms of payment at the supermarket chain’s 129 stores, thanks to a collaboration with global branded payments company Blackhawk Network.

To pay using PayPal or Venmo QR codes at checkout, the Midwestern grocer’s shoppers open either the PayPal or Venmo mobile app, click the “Scan” button, and choose the “show to pay” option. PayPal customers will be able to pay using stored debit or credit cards, bank accounts, PayPal balance, or PayPal Credit, while Venmo customers can pay using their stored debit or credit cards, bank account, Venmo balance, or Venmo Credit Card for eligible customers.

“This new technology expands on Fareway’s commitment to provide the best in customer service, with personalized and efficient options for our customers,” noted Mike McCormick, chief retail officer at Fareway. “With the rise in demand for mobile payments and digital options, we’re confident that our partnership with Blackhawk and PayPal will be positive for both customers and our company.”

“As mobile payment adoption continues to climb, it’s become increasingly important for retailers to meet the demands of a changing consumer, helping to drive loyalty and growth,” said Brett Narlinger, head of global commerce at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Blackhawk Network. “Helping our partners like Fareway to continue to grow and expand their digital payment capabilities is a core focus for Blackhawk.”

According to research from Blackhawk, digital wallet and payments are behind an increase in shopper loyalty, with 63% of respondents saying that they’re more likely to shop at a retailer if it accepts the digital payments they use, and 73% saying that they want to be able to pay the same way they pay online and in-store.

Last August, Giant Eagle Inc., also working with Blackhawk, became the first grocery store chain in the United States to allow customers to pay with PayPal and Venmo at the register.

Family-owned Fareway operates 129 stores in six Midwestern states, and employs more than 12,000 associates. The Boone, Iowa-based company is No. 81 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle, which operates more than 470 stores throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana, is No. 37 on The PG 100.