Kroger speeds up the customer experience

The Kroger Co. is revisiting how customers pay within its stores.

The Cincinnati-based grocer announced it is introducing Kroger Pay, a mobile payment solution that combines a customer's payment and loyalty card information to create a faster checkout experience. The company is also launching a new Kroger Rewards debit card, a new payment option for customers.

"Kroger is redefining the customer experience by creating innovative ways to pay at our stores and online," said Gary Millerchip, CEO of Kroger personal finance and corporate strategy integration lead. "Kroger Pay and the Kroger Rewards debit card are two more ways we are transforming our payments model to benefit our customers."

The company’s new Kroger Pay option works after a customer enters their custom PIN or biometrics. The app provides customers with a single-use QR code to scan at the terminal to quickly communicate payment and loyalty card information, which includes digital coupons and personalized offers, according to the company. The single-step solution is supposed to reduce checkout time and create a more frictionless experience for both store associates and customers.

The company’s new debit card is currently available for use in Columbus, Ohio and Colorado (King Soopers and City Market). This spring, the payment option will be available in all Kroger Family of Stores.

"Our new Kroger Rewards debit card is a lower-cost payment option, enabling us to offer our customers additional savings when they are shopping in a store or online or fueling up," continued Millerchip. "Through Restock Kroger, we are lowering operating costs, and our new debit card is another way we are doing just that while also rewarding customers who use it."