Fareway Stores enables PayPal, Venmo transactions at checkout

Midwestern grocer Fareway Stores has begun accepting PayPal and Venmo payments for transactions at all of its 129 stores.

Digital payments partner Blackhawk Network said Thursday that Fareway shoppers now can pay for their groceries using PayPal or Venmo QR codes at checkout. Customers open the PayPal or Venmo mobile app and then click the “scan” button and select the “show to pay” option.

PayPal owns the Venmo mobile payment service. PayPal users pay via stored debit or credit cards, bank accounts, their PayPal balance or PayPal credit. With Venmo QR codes, shoppers pay through stored debit or credit cards, bank accounts, their Venmo balance or their Venmo credit card.

“This new technology expands on Fareway’s commitment to provide the best in customer service, with personalized and efficient options for our customers,” said Mike McCormick, Chief Retail Officer at Fareway. “With the rise in demand for mobile payments and digital options, we’re confident that our partnership with Blackhawk and PayPal will be positive for both customers and our company.”

Boone, Iowa-based Fareway operates stores in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota under the Fareway Meat & Grocery and Fareway Meat Market retail banners.

A Blackhawk Network survey conducted last year by Leger found that 63% of consumers are more likely to shop at a retailer if they accept the digital payment platforms they use. What’s more, 73% of respondents said they want to be able to pay the same way in-store as they pay online.

Related:Fareway now offers curbside pickup at all stores

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Blackhawk said its research also revealed that PayPal is the No. 1 digital payment tool that shoppers aim to use in 2021. Sixty percent of digital payment users polled indicated that they plan to continue using PayPal once shopping returns to pre-pandemic levels.

“As mobile payment adoption continues to climb, it’s become increasingly important for retailers to meet the demands of a changing consumer, helping to drive loyalty and growth,” commented Brett Narlinger, head of global commerce at Blackhawk Network. “Helping our partners like Fareway to continue to grow and expand their digital payment capabilities is a core focus for Blackhawk.”

Last August, Blackhawk announced that Giant Eagle became the first grocery and convenience retailer to enable PayPal and Venmo transactions at checkout, accepting the two platforms at all of its approximately 475 Giant Eagle supermarket and GetGo fuel/convenience stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

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