Trader Joe's grocery chain preparing to accept Apple Pay
Popular U.S. grocery chain Trader Joe's is gearing up to begin accepting contactless payments via Apple Pay at check-out, AppleInsider has learned.
Photo credit: Victor Marks.
Kiosks at Trader Joe's checkout counters across the U.S. have been seeing upgrades in recent weeks and months to VeriFone touchscreen machines. Some of these payment terminals already advertise that they accept Apple Pay, as seen above at a store in Raleigh, spotted by AppleInsider.
Not all stores have yet enabled support for Apple Pay, even if the new VeriFone terminals are installed. For example, a trip Friday afternoon to the Trader Joe's in Brooklyn revealed that Apple Pay is not yet being accepted, and a check-out clerk mentioned that support is forthcoming at an unknown date.
AppleInsider reached out to Trader Joe's to find out when Apple Pay support might be officially, fully coming to the grocery chain, but requests for comment were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
Managers at two California stores separately verified that Trader Joe's is experimenting with new touchless payment solutions, including Apple's, but has yet to make a formal decision on support. Employees at other locations had not yet heard of upcoming functionality.
The California-based, privately-held company owns more than 400 locations across the U.S., spanning to both coasts. Specializing in private label foods, organics and specialty products, it raked in an estimated $12 billion in revenue last year.
When it officially launches, Apple Pay support at Trader Joe's will join other grocery chains such as Meijer, Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Whole Foods, among others.
Photo credit: Victor Marks.
Kiosks at Trader Joe's checkout counters across the U.S. have been seeing upgrades in recent weeks and months to VeriFone touchscreen machines. Some of these payment terminals already advertise that they accept Apple Pay, as seen above at a store in Raleigh, spotted by AppleInsider.
Not all stores have yet enabled support for Apple Pay, even if the new VeriFone terminals are installed. For example, a trip Friday afternoon to the Trader Joe's in Brooklyn revealed that Apple Pay is not yet being accepted, and a check-out clerk mentioned that support is forthcoming at an unknown date.
AppleInsider reached out to Trader Joe's to find out when Apple Pay support might be officially, fully coming to the grocery chain, but requests for comment were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
Managers at two California stores separately verified that Trader Joe's is experimenting with new touchless payment solutions, including Apple's, but has yet to make a formal decision on support. Employees at other locations had not yet heard of upcoming functionality.
The California-based, privately-held company owns more than 400 locations across the U.S., spanning to both coasts. Specializing in private label foods, organics and specialty products, it raked in an estimated $12 billion in revenue last year.
When it officially launches, Apple Pay support at Trader Joe's will join other grocery chains such as Meijer, Winn-Dixie, Bi-Lo and Whole Foods, among others.
Comments
Yeah, I went there on Monday. Saw the Apple Pay logo on the screen. Paid with my Watch. Blew the cashier's mind.
Not wondering actually, but worried is more like it. If they dodged Apple Pay it would be a huge PR issue in California.
Can't wait to see how people react to the Watch. The checkout counter at TJ's is always a social scene already, in complete contrast to other chain groceries that I know of.
(P.S. Can someone give me a ride? I haven't been able to buy gas anywhere.)
I work for Trader Joe's. We go live with ?pay on Wednesday May 20th. Company wide.
Oh that's why they switched to those horrible new POSTs haha
Hallelujah! I love TJs. I ask the cashiers all the time about Apple Pay in the hopes they would eventually accept it. Time to go celebrate with some 2 buck chuck!
Trader Joe's declines to comment. An AI exclusive!
One of my favorite stores. Great quality at great prices. A rare thing these days.
Hey, thanks for the tip.
Idiot post of the . . . week? Month? Year?
Troll.
The California-based, privately-held company owns more than 400 locations across the U.S., spanning to both coasts.
FWIW, Trader Joe's is actually owned by (or at least parent company is) Aldi, based in Germany. I looked it up and was surprised to find that Aldi has owned them since 1979. This would explain why some of my relatives traveling in Germany reported finding some items at the grocery store there with the Trader Joe's brand packaging.
FWIW, Trader Joe's is actually owned by (or at least parent company is) Aldi, based in Germany. I looked it up and was surprised to find that Aldi has owned them since 1979. This would explain why some of my relatives traveling in Germany reported finding some items at the grocery store there with the Trader Joe's brand packaging.
Yup - when you said from founder Joe Couloumbe. Interesting article in the link below, btw....
Few customers realize the chain is owned by Germany’s ultra-private Albrecht family, the people behind the Aldi Nord supermarket empire. (A different branch of the family controls Aldi Süd, parent of the U.S. Aldi grocery chain.) Famous in Germany for not talking to the press, the Albrechts have passed their tightlipped ways on to their U.S. business: Trader Joe’s and its CEO, Dan Bane, declined repeated requests to speak to Fortune, and the company has never participated in a major story about its business operations.
“They see themselves as a national chain of neighborhood specialty grocery stores,” says Mark Mallinger, a Pepperdine University professor who has done research for the company. “It means you want to create an image of mom and pop as you grow.” http://fortune.com/2010/08/23/inside-the-secret-world-of-trader-joes/
Quote:
One of my favorite stores. Great quality at great prices. A rare thing these days.
And many organic foods at near conventional produce prices. Plus unique products you won't find anywhere else.
I work for Trader Joe's. We go live with ?pay on Wednesday May 20th. Company wide.
Good on ya', mate. I'm always treated well by Joe people....
Great! The world takeover continues!