MCX's Walmart Launches its Own Mobile Pay System

One of the leaders of the retailer-driven Merchant Customer Exchange mobile payment system, Walmart is stepping out with its own alternative to Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay.

Walmart Pay will be subfeature of the existing Walmart app, and will work with any Android or iOS device at any checkout lane, Walmart said in a Dec. 10 press release.  Walmart Pay will also support any credit, debit, prepaid or Walmart gift card.

To use Walmart Pay, consumers open the Walmart app and activate the camera. At any time during checkout, the user scans the code displayed at the register to connect Walmart Pay. The Walmart checkout person scans the consumer's items to execute payment, and the consumer receives a digital receipt.

Walmart will test the app later this month with a national rollout scheduled for 2016. While consumers have not embraced contactless mobile payments, Walmart benefits from existing scale. More than 140 million people visit its stores weekly and more than 20 million people use its mobile app.

Walmart is also part of the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), which is testing CurrentC, its mobile payment app. CurrentC has been slow to develop, and has seen other major mobile payment system from Apple, Samsung and Android all hit the market first.  MCX also recently partnered with Chase for a low fee mobile wallet that links to the bank's credit, debit and prepaid card accounts.