Kroger partners with Chase for contactless (mobile) payments

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SamSpade
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Kroger partners with Chase for contactless (mobile) payments

Post by SamSpade »

My local newspaper printed an article from Bloomberg News about the deal.

Apparently Americans still aren't going contactless.

Honestly, I think this choice is a blunder but that remains to be seen.
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Re: Kroger partners with Chase for contactless (mobile) payments

Post by storewanderer »

Chase Pay is fine I suppose but Kroger should also be supporting NFC/Contactless Payments in addition to Chase Pay.

Kroger needs to support whatever payment method the customer wants to use.

NFC/Contactless will win out as most efficient and most universally used since it is available to the greatest number of people. Chase Pay is a limited segment service. What percent of the population even has a banking relationship with Chase? I bet, a much lower percent than the percent of population that has an Apple or Android phone or a physical Contactless-enabled credit card.

Kroger keeps "not getting it."
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Re: Kroger partners with Chase for contactless (mobile) payments

Post by mjhale »

Chase might be the wrong partner for Kroger but I think the concept of having a captive payment system is about getting more data on consumer behavior. I'm going to assume that the customer downloads an app and somehow that app has your payment info and possible loyalty card entered into it. You pay with the app and Kroger gets info on what you buy, when you buy it, etc. It would be a perfect combo for any retailer to have loyalty offers, sale prices and payment info all wrapped up into their captive app with the customer logged on to their account. The direction of American retailing is data mine everything to compete with the online sellers who are data mining everything. Contactless may be the practical way to go but my view is that until retailers can data mine it they aren't going to universally use it.
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Re: Kroger partners with Chase for contactless (mobile) payments

Post by storewanderer »

Having a captive payment system for the purpose of data collection makes sense for retailers who have no loyalty card program (Wal Mart).

Kroger already has the loyalty card programs and is getting the customer data that way. They still have payment data, they know what card is used, what bank issues the card thanks to the EMV AID, etc.

Chase Pay is okay but Contactless should be an option as well. In the Western United States, since Albertsons/Safeway got on board, literally every other grocery from small regional chains to single store independents offers Contactless payment. Maybe it is different in other regions (though I know all of the Delhaize/Ahold chains support Contactless and that is a lot of stores... Schnucks supports it, Winn Dixie/Bi Lo/Harveys support it...).
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