Walgreens' rewards card & Apple Pay

Question

Level 3

596 points

Walgreens' rewards card & Apple Pay

Does anyone know the exact procedure for the new combined Apple Pay/Walgreens Reward card with the Apple Watch. I have used my watch at Walgreens for several months. Today, when I was checking out, they first scanned my Rewards Card (in the watch Wallet app) as usual. Then, I put my watch up to the card reader and the Walgreens card instead of the Apple Pay card appeared. However, it would not take the payment. So, I resorted to using my phone (how old fashioned it that?).

I wonder if by first allowing them to scan the Rewards Card on my watch before paying screwed up the works.

What did I (or the store) do wrong? How is it supposed to work? Does anyone know?

George

Apple Watch, iOS 9.0.1

Posted on Nov 20, 2015 12:08 PM

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Answer 1

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,015 points

Nov 20, 2015 12:15 PM in response to G3gator

Hi George

At participating stores, if you turned on Automatic Selection on the rewards pass, double-click the side button and hold the watch's display up to the contactless reader. Your rewards card will be applied to the purchase and payment will be made using your default payment card via Apple Pay.

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Answer 2

G3gator Author

Level 3

596 points

Nov 20, 2015 12:22 PM in response to Jonathan UK

Jonathan,

Thanks. I didn't have the "Automatic Section" turned on. I'll try it again next time with this on. Also, I suppose I should not first scan the Rewards Card before paying since it is supposed to be a combined transaction.

George

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Answer 3

Jonathan UK

Level 10

164,015 points

Nov 20, 2015 12:39 PM in response to G3gator

Without Automatic Selection enabled, it is instead necessary to double-click the side button and swipe to select the rewards pass.

Some merchant terminals may be set up to request your rewards card separately from payment. At these merchants, only your rewards card information will be applied first. Then, after the cashier or terminal requests payment, you present your device again to pay using Apple Pay.

Separate presentation presently appears to be the expected process at Walgreens, as demonstrated in their video:

http://news.walgreens.com/video_display.cfm?video_id=15105

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Answer 4

G3gator Author

Level 3

596 points

Nov 20, 2015 12:57 PM in response to Jonathan UK

Jonathan, Thanks again.

At my store, they want you to scan your Rewards card on a different scanner than the payment terminal (the same one they use to scan the barcodes of the items purchased). I will try doing both on the payment terminal next time. I wonder if the watch works exactly the same way as the phone in the video.

Sometimes, the difficulty in trying different things at the register is having people waiting behind me to check out. I hate to delay them.

George

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Answer 5

lkrupp

Level 7

22,639 points

Nov 27, 2015 4:28 PM in response to G3gator

Walgreens appears to be a bit of a mess when it comes Apple Pay. I had been using my iPhone or Watch for sometime without issues. Then suddenly Walgreens began declining my transactions. The devices continued to work at other retailers like Panera Bread, two local grocery stores, McDonalds, etc. My physical debit card still worked however. I called Walgreens tech support and they had no answer except to have the local store manager call me and offer apologies. Then in an intuitive burst of “I wonder if” I deleted my debit card from the iPhone and Watch Wallet apps and re-entered them. This procedure creates a new Device Account Number for each device. Voila, Walgreens now accepts my Apple Pay again. So it is clear that Walgreen’s system decided to flag my previous device numbers.

At my local Walgreens I use the Wallet app first to enter my Rewards card and then to make the payment with my debit card (which is working again). Just like the video portrays.

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