Walgreens Debuts Wellness-Focused Credit Card, Giant Eagle Expands In-Store Digital Payment Options

Walgreens has introduced the myWalgreens Credit Card program, while supermarket chain Giant Eagle will start accepting PayPal and Venmo in-store as retailers continue expanding their payment options. Walgreens has designed its new cards with an emphasis on rewarding wellness choices, while Giant Eagle is aiming to make the differences between online and in-store payments as minimal as possible.

The myWalgreens Mastercard and the myWalgreens Credit Card each emphasize wellness by offering rewards for healthcare-related purchases:

• myWalgreens Credit Card cardholders earn 10% Walgreens Cash rewards on eligible Walgreens-branded products and 5% Walgreens Cash rewards on all other eligible brands and pharmacy purchases; and
• myWalgreens Mastercard cardholders also earn 3% Walgreens Cash rewards on all eligible grocery, health and wellness purchases outside of Walgreens, including healthcare provider visits, and 1% Walgreens Cash rewards on eligible purchases wherever Mastercard is accepted.

Shoppers can apply for either Walgreens card in real time at checkout. The retailer is using Synchrony’s dApply technology to streamline the application process and the Quickscreen pre-approval engine for a real-time credit check that can enable opening an account in seconds.

The myWalgreens Credit Card integrates with the Walgreens app, including a digital wallet for purchases, digital receipts, plus environmental and health forecasts. Shoppers also can donate rewards to national and local charities.

“Today’s launch of the myWalgreens Credit Card is just the beginning in the evolution and expansion of our financial services offerings,” said Maria Smith, VP of Payments & Financial Services at Walgreens in a statement. “Most credit cards reward customers for what they buy, but not how they live. The myWalgreens Credit Card aims to change that through building upon the strength of our myWalgreens loyalty platform and app experience.”

Giant Eagle Seeks to Make In-Store Checkout Seamless

Giant Eagle will now accept PayPal and Venmo at all 474 of its supermarket and GetGo convenience store locations through a partnership with Blackhawk Network. The retailer is seeking to expand its acceptance of digital payment methods, which have been on the rise — 59% of consumers have been using digital wallets more frequently since the pandemic began, according to a survey by Blackhawk.

The move also can speed up payment processes via PayPal and Venmo QR codes. Customers can simply open either the PayPal or Venmo mobile app, click the “Scan” button and choose the “Show to Pay” option to immediately pay with stored debit or credit cards, bank accounts, PayPal or Venmo balances or PayPal or Venmo credit.

Blackhawk’s research found that 48% of shoppers have been using QR codes and barcodes on a mobile device more frequently over the last year, which enables both a more seamless shopping experience and health and safety benefits through contactless checkout. Additionally, 63% of respondents said they’d be more likely to shop at a retailer if they accept the digital payments they use, and 73% said they want to be able to pay the same way they pay online and in-store.