Tesco Steps Up Its Mobile Payment Presence to All its UK Locations

In a way, there’s nothing so annoying as a mobile payment app that only works in certain places.

Having to switch from one app to another can be a hassle no one wants to put up with.

That’s a point that was likely hurting Tesco on at least some levels, but it’s finally pulled that particular thorn out from shoppers’ collective paws with news that PayQwiq, its mobile payment app, is now ready for use in every Tesco store throughout the UK.

Tesco had a good reason for the delay; it was engaging in a pilot program of sorts, gathering feedback from users with an eye toward making any needed changes. With feedback proving quite positive, Tesco didn’t have much to do in the way of making changes, and so stepped up to a wider rollout.

With the PayQwiq system available for Android and iOS users, and able to connect to the Clubcard rewards program, the system provides both payment option and loyalty program tracking all in one handy package.

Users also get access to transaction history, though the system has a single transaction limit of 250 pounds sterling. That’s likely a security point, and given that we’re talking mainly about groceries, the thought of spending that kind of money on one trip to the store is kind of outlandish anyway except for those who shop monthly.

While the spotty nature of the system’s availability likely wasn’t welcome for users so far, it was probably necessary while Tesco got the kinks worked out of the system.

Ensuring reliability was vital; while it may have put some users off, knowing that the system is now at its full availability will likely bring users back, ready to put the system to work every time they shop at Tesco. That commitment to a fully functional system could be a useful marketing tool as well; if Tesco can promote it as a sign of caring about the customer it could improve customer experience and keep customers returning.

This should end positively for Tesco; the early downsides of the system are likely to be readily surmounted by the major upside that follows.