Walmart is gearing up for mobile-driven back-to-school and holiday shopping seasons by rolling out Walmart Pay to big markets such as Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, with a national release scheduled to be completed by the end of the summer.

The mobile pay feature within its retail application allows users to quickly pay in bricks-and-mortar stores with their smartphone devices. Its latest state-wide rollouts and plans to go nationwide create stiffer competition among mobile pay solutions such as Starbucks and Apple Pay.

“Walmart Pay is currently being rolled out to US stores progressively,” said Anne Hatfield, spokesperson at Walmart. “With the announcement, we are now live with Walmart Pay in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma and we plan for all stores nationwide to offer Walmart Pay by the end of this summer.

“We have not been in market quite long enough to share adoption rates, but we continue to be encouraged by what we are seeing,” she said. “We are pleased with the feedback we have received thus far.

“Our customers are telling us they like the simplicity of Walmart Pay. We are excited to hear more from our customers and our associates as we expand the service.”

Bigger rollout
Walmart Pay is now available statewide in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Shoppers in Walmart locations can download the mobile app and have the ability to pay at registers with their mobile devices.

Users create or sign into their account on the Walmart app on their smartphone, and can add multiple credit cards and gift cards to use at checkout. Customers select their preferred method of payment, and whenever they use Walmart Pay, that chosen card will be the one charged unless the user manually clicks a new one.

Shoppers with Walmart Pay must select a four-digit code for security, a factor that is a big driver of success with mobile payments, as a many consumers have not adopted them for fear of payment insecurity.

To pay at bricks-and-mortar locations, users open the app and select mobile pay. Shoppers can than scan a bar code that appears at the payment pad at checkout through the smartphone’s camera.

Customers will receive a receipt and purchase confirmation through the app itself immediately upon sale completion.

Walmart Pay
Walmart was experiencing slower growth in online sales, so its attention has turned to the mobile wallet, which brought the retailer up a notch in the mcommerce space but lacks a strong loyalty component, a must-have for any retailer-driven wallet (see more).

The retailer also angled for the top spot in mobile commerce through its move to integrate MasterPass into its digital offerings following the December rollout of Walmart Pay (see more).

“Built with the goal of improving how customers check out and dramatically expanding mobile payment access, Walmart Pay is like no other mobile payment solution available today,” Ms. Hatfield said. “With Walmart Pay, Walmart becomes the only retailer to offer its own payment solution that works with any iOS or Android device, at any checkout lane, and with any major credit, debit, pre-paid or Walmart gift card – all through the Walmart mobile app.

“The Walmart app, which includes a suite of digital offerings, was built to make shopping faster and easier,” she said. “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.”