Dive Brief:

• 7-Eleven released a mobile wallet that allows users to conduct contactless payments at its participating stores in the U.S., according to an announcement on Wednesday.

• Using the 7-Eleven app, customers can add funds to their account via cash, debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay or prepaid 7-Eleven gift cards to pay for items using their 7-Eleven Wallet. Users won't be charged loading or transaction fees or incur interest charges when paying for goods through the app, the company said.

• The company is also giving its 7Rewards members 2,000 points when they load $20 into their 7-Eleven Wallet for the first time until Jan. 5, 2021. Members can use those points to save on their purchases at checkout, per the company announcement.

Dive Insight:

Given this unprecedented pandemic, 7-Eleven created its mobile wallet to give customers a convenient, contactless way to pay, 7‑Eleven president and CEO Joe DePinto, said in a statement. It was also important to bring customers who use cash into the digital payments ecosystem and give them access to rewards, DePinto added. 

Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 7-Eleven has been modernizing its operations to add more convenient options for its customers, many of which have been focused on delivery. In February, just before the coronavirus pandemic disrupted in-store shopping, the retailer began piloting a cashierless store in Texas. In March, as the coronavirus prompted states to enact shelter-in-place orders, 7-Eleven offered free delivery on select items until April 30. In May, the retailer enabled deliveries via Postmates, DoorDash and Favor Delivery. The company added Uber Eats, Grubhub and Instacart to its lineup of delivery providers in October.

The convenience store is among other retailers, including Tractor Supply and Walmart, that have implemented contactless payment measures. Visa also introduced a Visa Tap to Phone feature, which allows more sellers with Android devices to conduct contactless transactions, in October. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked payment cleanliness concerns, the crisis may have accelerated more consumer contactless payment adoption. In response, retailers seem to be increasingly integrating contactless payment options into their stores, research from the National Retail Federation and Forrester suggests.