Kroger tests contactless payment

The Kroger Co. is piloting a variety of near-field communication (NFC)-enabled payment solutions in its QFC stores.

The supermarket giant is running the contactless payment pilot at 61 stores across its Seattle-based QFC chain. The pilot includes the acceptance of Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, mobile banking apps, and contactless chip cards, underpinned by NFC technology. According to new NRF data, 67% of retailers now accept some form of no-touch payment.

The NFC technology uses a radio frequency field to transmit data between two devices – a mobile device and PIN pad – eliminating physical contact. Customers can place their mobile device or contactless chip card near the PIN pad and payment data is transmitted from the device or card to the terminal to process the transaction.

"QFC is excited to pilot contactless payments powered by NFC technology, providing our customers with an additional way to pay for their fresh food and household essentials," said Chris Albi, president of QFC. "The contactless payment solution will help make life easier for many of our customers and provide the freedom of choice among various options, including cash, debit, credit and check."

Other contactless solutions offered by Kroger include Kroger Pay, a touchless mobile payment solution that provides customers a single-use QR code to scan at the terminal to quickly communicate their payment and loyalty card information. In addition, Kroger’s “Scan, Bag, Go” technology allows customers to scan their groceries using their mobile device, bag their own products and pay via the Kroger app, and the retailer offers no-contact pickup and delivery options.