As Apple, Samsung and Google continue to battle it out for shares of the burgeoning mobile wallet market, a good deal of their efforts are focused on bringing retail partners on board to bolster their payment networks. Walmart was a significant prize to be won before it launched its own proprietary Walmart Pay app, and all signs point to the retailer continuing to try to make a name for itself in the payments world.
Walmart announced Monday (May 16) that it was rolling out Walmart Pay at stores in both Texas and Arkansas. In total, this will add Walmart Pay compatibility to about 600 storefronts (110 in Arkansas and 480 in Texas). Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services at Walmart U.S., touted the increased convenience Lone Star Staters and Sooners will be able to enjoy in Walmart checkout lines thanks to the newly introduced payment method.
“We can’t wait to hear what our customers and associates in [Texas and Arkansas] think of Walmart Pay," Eckert said in a statement. "The service was built to make shopping easier and faster, something we know our customers want. Walmart Pay is a powerful addition to our app, a tool that we’re using to transform the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting our online assets and our stores for customers. The service opens the door to new and better ways we can serve the 140 million customers who shop our stores each week.”
The continued emphasis on Walmart Pay dovetails with the retailer's willingness to take on innovative projects outside its traditional sphere of control. For example, Walmart's recent decision to trim its free shipping offers has been seen as a shot across the bow of programs like Amazon Prime, and if Walmart is going to make any headway in that fight, it'll need all the help on the mobile payments front it can get.
