Walmart rapidly expanding in-app checkout at brick and mortar locations in the US

A year ago, Walmart released an app that let users check out with their smartphones at the register rather than use cards or cash. Walmart Pay has since seen a slow rollout, but the past month saw a surge in adoption as the massive retailer pushed the service to 14 new states. The company initially said they aimed have app payout available nationwide by the end of Q2 2016, but they haven’t quite hit that goal.

In spite of not being a nationwide staple just yet, this latest rollout nearly doubled the total number of states that are Walmart Pay ready. The current total stands at 33, with Washington D.C. thrown in for good measure. If they continue this expansion at anywhere close to this recent rate, then they won’t have missed their goal by much.

It’s worth noting that Walmart Pay is unusual among mobile payment platforms in that it only works at Walmart locations. This means it’s by no means in the same arena as Samsung Pay, Android Pay, or Apple Pay. Nevertheless, the retailer reports that 22 million customers use this payment method every month, a figure that represents roughly 4 percent of Walmart customers.

What are your thoughts regarding Walmart Pay and the gradual increase of mobile payment options? Let us know in the comments!