Convenience retail giant 7-Eleven has rolled out its Mobile Checkout contactless shopping service to another 2,500-plus U.S. stores.
With the expansion, Mobile Checkout capability is offered in more than 3,000 7-Eleven stores in 32 states and the District of Columbia, Irving, Texas-based 7-Eleven Inc. said Tuesday. The feature enables 7-Eleven mobile app users to scan products and pay for their purchases via their smartphones, skipping the checkout line.
Before leaving the store, Mobile Checkout users scan the on-screen QR code at the confirmation station or show it to a sales associate to confirm payment. (Photo courtesy of 7-Eleven)
Currently, Mobile Checkout is available at 7-Eleven stores in major U.S. markets, including New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Orlando (Fla.), Miami, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland (Ore.) and Seattle, as well as in Washington, D.C. The retailer said it plans to offer the service at all of its U.S. stores by the close of 2022.
“After over a year of living through the pandemic, Americans have a new perception of what convenience looks like. For many, it’s a contactless shopping experience without waiting in line,” Raghu Mahadevan, digital senior vice president at 7-Eleven, said in a statement. “Luckily, we were already testing Mobile Checkout and had begun expanding 7NOW home delivery to hundreds of markets before lockdowns occurred. Now we are accelerating the expansion of Mobile Checkout to ensure customers can shop at 7-Eleven the way they want to shop: safe and convenient.”
For a limited time, 7-Eleven is incentivizing customers to try Mobile Checkout by offering 10 times the rewards points for every purchase made using the tool in the app. The 7Rewards loyalty program has more than 50 million members.
To use Mobile Checkout, shoppers download the 7-Eleven app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, register for or log into the 7Rewards loyalty program, open the app in a participating store, and tap the Mobile Checkout icon on the home page. Next, customers can begin scanning the barcode on products added it to their basket. Discounts and promotions are applied automatically. Users can pay for purchases in the app via a debit or credit card as well as through Apple Pay, Google Pay or the 7-Eleven Wallet tool. Before exiting the store, customers scan the on-screen QR code at the confirmation station or show it to a sales associate to confirm payment for the purchase.
Mobile Checkout is available for most 7-Eleven merchandise with bar code. Some items still require cashier assistance, such as financial services and age-verified products, such as alcohol, tobacco and lottery tickets.
In over 1,300 cities, customers can also order beverages, hot food and groceries and have them delivered via the 7NOW delivery app.
Overall, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 77,000 stores in 16 countries and regions, including nearly 16,000 in North America under the 7-Eleven, Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the Roost Chicken and Biscuits banners.