Walmart Pay Debuts

Walmart has introduced Walmart Pay, which the mega-retailer describes as “a fast, easy and secure way for customers to pay with their smartphones in Walmart stores.”

The company’s answer to Apple Pay and other mobile payment systems, Walmart Pay boasts a few unique features: According to Walmart, it’s the only retailer to offer its own payment solution that works with any iOS or Android device capable of downloading the Walmart retail app, at any checkout lane, and with any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card. The mobile payment feature will make its debut in select stores this month, with a nationwide launch to be complete by the first half of 2016.

“The Walmart app was built to make shopping faster and easier,” explained Neil Ashe, president and CEO of Walmart global e-commerce. “Walmart Pay is the latest example – and a powerful addition – of how we are transforming the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting online, mobile and stores for the 140 million customers who shop with us weekly.”

“The simplicity and ease of Walmart Pay comes not only from how it works, but also in how it’s been built,” noted Daniel Eckert, SVP, 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.”

The Walmart app, ranked among the top three retail apps in the Google and Apple app stores, is actively used by 22 million customers monthly. Its features include enabling users to check in to pick up an online order at a Walmart store, refill pharmacy prescriptions and find an item’s physical store location.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operates 11,504 stores under 65 banners in 28 countries, and e-commerce websites in 11 countries.