Tesco has extended its mobile payments app to a further 100 stores as the supermarket giant gears up for a full roll-out of the service.
As previously revealed by Retail Week, the grocer laid down the gauntlet to Apple earlier this year by piloting the PayQwiq app in 500 stores in Edinburgh and London.
The smartphone app allows shoppers to store their debit card and Tesco Clubcard details and pay for baskets worth up to £400.
Tesco initially emailed 600,000 customers to invite them to download and use the app, but the grocer has now opened it up for all customers to download via the App Store.
In addition to shops in London and Edinburgh, 100 further stores across Northern Ireland and in Plymouth have started accepting PayQwiq as a method of payment from this morning.
It is understood that Tesco is targeting a full roll-out across its entire store estate by the end of the year.
The PayQwiq app, which was developed by Tesco Bank, gives shoppers the option to present their mobile phone at the checkout, where the cashier will scan a code to instantly take payment and add loyalty points to the shopper’s Clubcard account through the digital wallet.
It comes as its UK grocery rival Sainsbury’s develops its SmartShop app, while Asda owner Walmart has rolled out Walmart Pay as retailers seek to eliminate the costs involved in adopting technologies such as Android Pay and Apple Pay and keep valuable customer data to themselves.
A Tesco spokesman said: “At Tesco, we are always looking to make the shopping experience simpler and easier for customers and that’s why we’ve developed PayQwiq.
“Customers can use PayQwiq to pay for their shopping and collect their Clubcard points all with one simple scan of their phone.
“Feedback from customers who have used PayQwiq has been very positive, and we’re delighted to extend the availability of PayQwiq to Tesco customers in more locations.”
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