Kroger has started a nationwide launch of two new products: mobile payments and a new rewards card
Mobile Payments ‘Kroger Pay’
In the existing Kroger apps, functionality for payment has been added. Users will enter a PIN or biometrics and will then be given a QR code to scan to pay for their items, payment will then be taken from the linked cards. This will also automatically add any loyalty card information as well without also having to present a loyalty card (including saved offers). This has been tested in Columbus, Ohio and will be rolled out to 10 new markets before being rolled out nationwide later in the year.
Kroger Rewards Debit card
This card is currently available in Columbus and Colorado and will be rolled out nationwide later this year. It isn’t clear what benefits/discounts this card offers but the rewards do stack when using Kroger pay.
Our Verdict
Mobile payments system actually seems to make sense, rather than having to give both my payment and loyalty details it’s easier to just use Kroger pay to complete the purchase.
its almost impossible to get people to do new things without incentives… I don’t care what they do as long as I can buy gift cards with credit cards and buy money orders with debit cards.
Weren’t they partnering with Chase on Chase Pay? Or just seeing how it worked and then kicked Chase to the curb?
Yeah not sure what happened. It’s possible it’s a Chase Pay white label though as it uses the same QR tech
Also here in Columbus they have been testing this thing similar to Sams club’s “scan and go”…basically you pickup this handheld device when you walk into the store, scan your items with it as you place them in your cart, then when you to to the self checkout to pay, you just scan the barcode on the self checkout machine with the device and then you can pay.
I see this as more useful than the mobile payments. Kroger pay…Walmart pay…I don’t see the point of messing with it unless there’s some kind of savings or promotion.
They do this in a lot of the metro detroit locations as well.
I remember they are supposed to be partnering with Chase Pay…….
Would the credit card that you link to your account still show the charge as the supermarket category? This would be a lot less valuable if Amex gold doesn’t credit 4x points.
The ONLY way I would use this over Samsung Pay is if this automatically applied available coupons so you didn’t have to go into the app and clip them.
That’s not gonna happen IMHO. I think they’re always gonna make you activate coupons. I’ve gotten in the habit of clipping anything I would even remotely buy just in case.
There is a hard limit of like 100 or 150 coupons though. Recent months it hasn’t been an issue, but some months where a BUNCH of stuff is on sale, I’ve hit the limit but the “remotely interested” method…