Walmart Tests iPhone Checkout System

At a Walmart supercenter near the retail giant’s Arkansas headquarters, the company recently tested a “Scan & Go” system that allows shoppers to scan items with their iPhones and put them in a bag while they shop, according to a Reuters report. The test does not allow users to pay on their phone; rather, the app transfers the scanned items to the self-checkout kiosk and then shoppers complete the transaction using the normal self-checkout process.

 

Walmart's iPhone app already includes functions such as letting shoppers create lists and seeing which items are in stock.

 

"We're continually testing new and innovative ways to serve customers and enhance the shopping experience in our stores," says Walmart spokesman David Tovar. Walmart declined to give details on where the test might lead, but it could conceivably allow for scanning on other smart phones and be paired with mobile payment, the report stated.

 

Walmart's test appears to be limited to the one store. The company asked employees to reach out to friends and family in its search for participants, according to a copy of an email sent by the company's @WalmartLabs team and obtained by Reuters.

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