Albertsons unveils contactless payment option at all stores

Albertsons Companies Inc. on Monday introduced Albertsons Pay, a new zero-touch checkout experience available through its updated just for U loyalty app.  Albertsons Pay provides shoppers with a safe, secure, and contact-free way to pay, use discounts and earn rewards all at the same time.

“Easy, fast and zero-touch checkout. That’s the bottom line with Albertsons Pay,” said Albertsons Cos. EVP and chief operations officer Susan Morris. “Albertsons Pay combines your just for U discounts, rewards and payments in one incredibly easy contactless transaction.”

The new technology is available in all Albertsons Cos. stores, which include Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, Star-Market, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets and Carrs.

Albertsons Pay users can choose one of two new contactless pay options through the just for U app: Albertsons Direct, a safe and secure way for shoppers to pay through their bank, and Albertsons Cash, a stored-value account that can be pre-loaded and used across all Albertsons Cos. stores. After setup, customers simply show the QR code in their just for U app at checkout to apply their discounts, earn rewards and securely pay for their groceries.

The new contactless pay option complements existing NFC-enabled tap-to-pay options with debit and credit cards, which are available in all Albertsons stores. In addition, customers will also find a link to Apple Pay and Google Pay within the just for U app for easy access to contactless credit and debit transactions.

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Customers can also continue to support local charities through Albertsons Pay’s donation option. Albertsons and its customers have raised nearly $100 million for community hunger relief in 2020, including more than $44 million generously provided by customers at checkout.

Albertsons has seen strong adoption of and growth in its just for U loyalty app in 2020. In the first quarter, Albertsons saw 27% growth in just for U enrollments to 22.5 million active members, who have an average weekly spend 3.8 times that of non-members. The retailer also has worked to expand membership, including in its Jewel-Osco and Mid-Atlantic divisions.

Albertsons also has capitalized on learnings from its just for U program. In the 2020 first quarter, the number of members redeeming digital deals and coupons rose 32%, with the average weekly spend twice that of customers not redeeming that savings. Likewise, sales from households redeeming digital deals, coupons and awards through just for U were up 28% versus their spend a year ago.

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“Our occasional customers have changed their behavior most dramatically over the past few months,” said Chris Rupp, chief customer and digital officer, earlier this year. “Those customers are now choosing Albertsons much more often as they have consolidated their shopping trips. This is an example where an occasional customer — not one who we would know very well — is starting to shop with us more often. So we can create better personalized experiences for those customers as well.”

The company operates 2,252 retail food and drugstores with 1,726 pharmacies across 34 states and the District of Columbia.