Walgreens increases convenience of Apple Pay

DEERFIELD, Ill. — In what could be an important step for mobile payment, Walgreens is expanding the Apple Pay functionality it provides customers.

 

Members of Walgreens’ Balance Rewards program can now seamlessly use their account through Apple Pay, without separately scanning a Balance Rewards card or barcode. Members will have the ability to earn and redeem loyalty points via Apple Pay by adding the Balance Rewards digital card to the Wallet app in iOS 9 and using it at checkout.

 

Members can hold their iPhone near the contactless reader with a finger on Touch ID and the appropriate rewards information will be sent. On Apple Watch, they can double-click the side button, select their Balance Rewards card, and hold the face of Apple Watch up to the reader.

 

“We’re excited to be the first to provide our customers with increased ease of access to their Balance Rewards account and information when using Apple Pay,” said Sona Chawla, president of digital and chief marketing officer for Walgreens. “This offering supports our commitment to removing friction and enabling a simple and convenient customer experience.”

 

While Apple Pay has been available for a little more than a year, usage rates are still low. Walgreens is the first retailer to increase the convenience and usability of Apple Pay by integrating its loyalty program with the mobile payment service. The more than 85 million active Balance Rewards members will now have another reason to join Apple Pay, or use an existing account.

 

Loyalty integration is not guaranteed to boost Apple Pay usage at Walgreens, but Apple, as well as other mobile payment providers and retailers, will be watching carefully. If this proves to be the impetus for consumers to finally start using mobile payment in large numbers, expect integrated loyalty at a lot of other retailers and also with a lot of other mobile payment solutions.