MCX Mobile Payments Rolling Out To Walmart And Other Locations In Ohio

Mobile payments have been making their way to a bunch of retailers around the world, but some of the biggest companies in the US have yet to adopt mobile payments. Three years ago a group of retailers in the US working under the Merchant Customer Exchange umbrella decided to enter the mobile payments market. That Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) partnership includes Walmart, Target, and Darden Restaurants.

Three years after vowing to enter the mobile payments market, companies in the partnership are finally set to start rolling out the tech needed to enable mobile payments. The first locations to get the mobile payment upgrade will be several retailers and restaurants in the Columbus, Ohio area.

The tech will be installed in the coming weeks according to people familiar with the plans of the exchange partners. When the MCX partnership was founded, the partners agreed to not begin the adoption of mobile payment systems for a time and that agreement expires this week. With the agreement expired, the partner firms are able to use mobile payment systems from Apple, Google and Samsung among others.

Rite Aid has announced it will be accepting Apple Pay and Android Pay starting August 15. MCX partner Best Buy says that it plans to accept Apple Pay in its locations later this year. MCX has its own mobile payment app called CurrentC and Rite Aid has said it will accept that mobile payment app. CurrentC links to checking accounts, gift cards, and private label debit cards directly in an effort to bypass credit card fees.

SOURCE: WSJ