Walmart keeps online payment options open

Walmart may be planning to release its proprietary Walmart Pay mobile wallet application this year, but at least online is preparing for a varied digital payment landscape.



Walmart will accept the MasterPass by MasterCard digital payments platform in 2016 for online purchases, including mobile commerce. The platform securely stores payment and shipping information, which is accessible when a consumer checks out using the “Buy with MasterPass” button and logs into their account from any connected device.



“We have enjoyed a longstanding business relationship with Walmart and are pleased to expand this into the online and mobile channels through MasterPass,” said Michael Cyr, group executive, U.S. Market Development, MasterCard. “With MasterPass, consumers can go online, place their order and pay with just a click. The burden of entering delivery and billing information is eliminated, further enhancing the Walmart online customer experience.”



Walmart has stated it will still accept other forms of mobile and digital payment in its stores besides Walmart Pay, but it is interesting that at least for now, MasterPass will only be accepted for online purchases. The in-store mobile payment arena became extremely crowded in 2015, and will likely get more crowded in 2016 before inevitably starting to thin.



With numerous studies indicating that mobile e-commerce traffic and purchase activity increased dramatically during the 2015 holiday season, retailers must start focusing more on ensuring convenient and secure mobile payment for online transactions. There is no telling what Walmart may do in this space in the coming months, but seems to be willing to start by hedging its bets.