The convenience of Apple Pay is nice and if you use it frequently you probably like to use it for grocery shopping. While some grocery stores do take Apple Pay, Kroger is not one of them. Unfortunately, they do not accept it.
This is disappointing for many Kroger shoppers as they are unable to have the convenience, speed, security, and money-back perks that Apple Pay users are accustomed to. Kroger does have a contactless option available so it is possible to pay there without a physical card or cash.
My name is Eric and I love technology. I have been an enthusiast for over 40 years and contactless payment methods are something popular lately. Apple Pay is one of the best and I am in search of which places accept it and which do not.
We know that Kroger does not take it, but let’s dive a little deeper into this situation to find out why. We’ll also take a look at how you can still use a contactless payment method there.
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What is Apple Pay?
If you have heard of Apple Pay or even if you have not and you are a little unsure of what it is, no worries. I will briefly explain this here.
Simply put, Apple Pay is a quick, convenient, safe, and contactless way to pay for things using an Apple device such as your iPhone or Apple Watch. It’s like a digital wallet that lets you keep all your credit cards, debit cards, and bank access all in one place.
Apple Pay is easy to set up on your Apple device. Just go into the app and add your credit or debit cards and you will be ready to start using it. When you go to pay at a store, you only need to hold the device near the reader that accepts Apple Pay and your purchase is complete.
You will still receive whatever benefits, such as points or rewards that you have from the card you have connected to Apple Pay and there are also cashback rewards that you can receive from Apple Pay when using it at certain stores and buying certain items.
Why Doesn’t Kroger Take Apple Pay?
So, Apple Pay sounds great, right! Well, it is and you may be asking why wouldn’t all stores accept it? After all, the goal is for them to make money from you, so why not accept all forms of payment? Especially one as secure and easy to use as this one.
The thing is, it’s not that simple. Some stores like Kroger have come out with their own mobile payment application and they would rather you use their payment app for your purchases. They have put a lot of time and money into developing their system.
When you use their system it saves them money and increases their profits. If they were to allow you to use another form of payment such as Apple Pay, they would lose some of the profits. It’s simply cheaper for them to use their own electronic payment system.
In the end, they just won’t accept Apple Pay since they want you to use their Kroger Pay application instead. So if you are looking for contactless, electronic pay at Kroger and other stores owned by Kroger you will need to use Kroger Pay.
One more reason that Kroger would rather use its own payment system, is that they would like to be the ones collecting your consumer information and statistics. They collect information such as what products you like to buy and how often.
This consumer information helps them with marketing research and allows them to send you coupons and alert you to special deals but it also lets them know what products you like to purchase the most and this helps them to make money by providing those products to you.
What is Kroger Pay?
Like Apple Pay, Kroger Pay is an easy, secure, and contactless way to pay for groceries or other items at any Kroger or the Kroger Family of companies. It’s like a digital wallet that lets you link and use various credit/debit cards with your account.
It also keeps track of, and lets you use loyalty points and rewards where possible. This gives a hassle-free way to collect and use the points. No more carrying around your loyalty card or needing to enter your phone number every time you check out.
How Does Kroger Pay Work?
Kroger Pay works similarly to other e-pay systems. When you are at the store, your phone will generate a QR code. When you are ready to checkout, scan the code with the checkout scanner or allow the checkout person to scan it.
Then scan all the items or have the checkout clerk scan them as usual. Once your items are all scanned, all you need to do is select your payment method within the application and your bill will be paid. Simple and contact-free. No need to bring a physical credit or debit card with you.
Any loyalty or rewards points are automatically added to your account so you don’t even have to worry about that part of it.
Will Kroger Ever Accept Apple Pay?
This is a hard question to answer and I can’t really say for sure one way or another. As of now, there are no plans for Kroger to begin accepting Apple Pay and in my opinion, it seems very unlikely that they will do so in the future.
The fact that it is cheaper to use their mobile payment system, makes me think that it just doesn’t make sense for them to also accept a competing one. They have good reasons to want their customers to use Kroger Pay.
Unless there is some kind of deal that makes it more beneficial for Kroger to use Apple Pay rather than their own Kroger Pay, I don’t really see this happening any time soon. So, if you want to use a mobile payment method at Kroger I would highly suggest downloading Kroger Pay.
Final Words
Unfortunately, Kroger does not take Apple Pay and they have some very good reasons why as I have indicated above. They do have their own mobile payment application so you will still have a form of contactless payment available to you and you won’t have to carry any physical cards.
Have you ever used Kroger Pay? Or any other store’s mobile payment applications? Let me know how your experience went. I would love to hear from you.
