This feature of the self checkout in store locations has been broadened through its app for iPhones.
Walmart has been testing its mobile payments feature through a self checkout process at some of its store locations has now announced that it will be broadening the pilot program to reach 40 stores in the Denver area.
The retail giant uses QR codes generated by an iPhone app, which can be scanned at a checkout terminal.
This allows the iPhone users to scan all of their own products while the cart is being filled, and then indicate when they have picked up all of the items that they intend to buy. At that point, a unique QR code is generated, and this can be scanned by one of the self checkout terminal devices in order to complete the mobile payments transaction.
Walmart has been investigating many ways to use mobile payments and mcommerce to its best advantage.
This effort includes not only looking into ways that customers can use mobile payments, but also simply to speed up the checkout process through its “Scan & Go” iPhone app. As of yet, none of these programs have been rolled out universally to all of its locations, but these mcommerce opportunities are being tested in a number of stores in the Denver area, as well as in Atlanta, Northwest Arkansas, San Jose (California) and Portland (Oregon).
This new app lets the consumer scan the products as they are being placed into the shopping cart or basket, eliminating the need to do so at the checkout counter. Once all of the items are scanned, the iPhone app creates a list of all of the products that have been scanned, and represents them with QR codes that can be used by the readers at the checkout terminals. This allows the various traditional and mobile payment options to be presented to the consumer.
Walmart stores have been focusing heavily on mobile payments and particularly on self checkout since October 2012. It was at that time that the retailer announced that NCR would be the checkout terminal vendor for the tests as well as for the complete American rollout, which is expected by the end of 2013.
Instructions have been released to help to decrease the risk associated with transactions in certain areas.
The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council has just released new merchant guidance to help to increase the security available while accepting mobile payments, which is an inherently risky area.
It is recommended that card acquirers and issuers, and banking institutions should apply this guidance.
These types of institution should help to provide this mobile payments guidance while assisting merchants with security in end to end transactions. This, according to Steve Kenneally from the American Bankers Association Center for Regulatory Compliance. He added that “Shining a spotlight on the need to improve payment security is always a great idea.” And said that “Providing specific recommendations on how to achieve a higher level of security is even better.”
The mobile payments environment must be made secure before consumers can be ensured that it is safe.
Kenneally said that his organization anticipates that the PCI guidelines will be able to be used as an additional important tool that can be used by acquirers in order to boost the security of transactions through merchants.
Among the mobile payments security issues that were addressed within this new guidance from the PCI Council are the following:
• Account data entry risks connected with smartphones and tablets, including the information transmitted through the devices as well as the data that is stored within those gadgets.
• The procedures that should be followed by merchants in order to make certain of the security on a physical and transactional level with the devices that are used for the acceptance of the mobile payments.
• Instructions for the various components that should be applied to the acceptance of the transactions, such as software, hardware, and the use of various different acceptance solutions, in addition to considerations regarding the relationship with the customer him or herself.
The PCI guidelines, said Kenneally, take into account that some of the qualities that make accepting mobile payments as appealing to merchants as it is can also offer opportunities to fraudsters. Therefore, it is very important to take specific and careful action to avoid risks as much as is possible.
