Leading retailer Walmart is now rolling out its own mobile payment service and Apple Pay rival, Walmart Pay, for iOS devices. However, whereas Apple Pay uses speedy and secure NFC connectivity, Walmart Pay requires the more cumbersome procedure of scanning QR codes at checkout.
In the release notes for a new update to the Walmart app for iOS, the retailer says that Walmart Pay is now available through the app, and will become an option for payment “in all stores soon”. To use the service, a shopper needs to, at checkout, launch the Walmart app on their device before using the camera to scan a QR code at a terminal. Digital receipts can also be automatically stored along the way.
Nonetheless, Apple Pay allows for much faster payment; the device only needs to be held to an NFC terminal while a finger is rested on the Touch ID sensor for authentication. No particular app needs to be opened first, and so it’s mystifying that Walmart still resists adopting Apple Pay.
It is possible that Walmart Pay is, as yet, not completely live for all users of the Walmart app; 9to5Mac writer Zac Hall reports being unable to use the service in his own testing.