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from the a-win-for-the-little-guy....or-not dept.
Wal-Mart has launched its own smartphone app for processing payments, rather than adding support for systems being touted by the likes of Samsung, Apple, and Google (Wallet):
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched its own mobile payment system, dubbed Walmart Pay, in select stores near its Bentonville, Ark., headquarters on Thursday, giving customers their first opportunity to use a mobile payment system in its stores.
The retailing giant so far hasn't allowed other mobile payment platforms, including Samsung Pay or Apple Pay. Instead, it built its own system, which it said works with any iOS or Android device that can support the Walmart app and at any checkout lane, including self-service checkout.
Walmart Pay can handle major credit, debit, pre-paid and Walmart gift cards. The company is in discussions that could result in other mobile wallets being added to Walmart Pay, said Daniel Eckert, senior vice president of services for Walmart U.S.
Wal-Mart is part of a consortium called the Merchant Customer Exchange that includes Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc. The MCX is working on an app called CurrentC that is still in the pilot phase in Columbus, Ohio. Members of the Merchant Customer Exchange pledged not to accept other mobile payment systems, according to The Wall Street Journal. That exclusivity was temporary and expired in August, a Walmart spokesperson said, freeing members to allow other mobile wallet transactions.
Wal-Mart plans to roll out Walmart Pay nationally after the first half of next year.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Friday December 11 2015, @08:32PM
I know a lot of people hate Walmart. And, for good reason, what with the reports of Walmart cheating their workers of pay. Lot of hate for Apple, Google, Amazon, and EBay and Paypal too. And, oh yeah, Microsoft. And Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T, IBM, etc.
But I like some of the things Walmart does. A few years ago, Walmart got into the prescription drug business. I hoped they would have the clout to take on Big Pharma and get us more reasonable prices for prescriptions, and I liked that thought. But I haven't seen much effect.
So, good to see more competition, however limited. Perhaps the real competition should be Bitcoin or one of its alternatives, as the antithesis to all these mega corporate payment systems and their inherent problems with the lack of privacy and their private justice for resolving disputes.
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday December 12 2015, @01:00AM
Believe it or not they did do some good with generics. They have a whole list of prescriptions that you can get a 30 day supply for 4 dollars with no insurance.
http://i.walmartimages.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/genericdruglist.pdf [walmartimages.com]
Cholesterol, Diabetes, Glaucoma, Asthma, Blood pressure. Sure its all the generics, but its a potential lifesaver for people who need these meds on a low budget.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 13 2015, @06:09AM
It seems any grocery store does that now.
(Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday December 12 2015, @10:23AM
But at what cost? If you're living in a major city then the damage that Walmart does isn't as big of a deal as it's virtually impossible for one company to destroy the economy. But, if you're living in a smaller town, Walmart can and has completely destroyed the local economy by undercutting the prices of the smaller shops that can't compete on price. Then when enough of the other businesses go under and people can't afford to buy from Walmart, they leave the area because they're losing money.
It's not as big of a problem now, but it has been a problem in the past. Beyond that, they're corporate leeches of the lowest order requiring the local governments to subsidize their employees because they're too cheap to pay a decent wage.