Walgreens Balance® Rewards loyalty program members will be able to earn and redeem loyalty points via Apple Pay, an innovative mobile payment system.
More than 85 million Balance Rewards program members can seamlessly use their accounts through Apple Pay−without separately scanning a Balance Rewards card or bar code.
To get the most out of purchases, users can simply add the Balance Rewards digital card to the Wallet app in iOS 9 and use it at checkout with Apple Pay. Members simply hold their iPhones near the contactless reader with a finger on Touch ID and the appropriate rewards information will be sent. On Apple Watch, they just double-click the side button, select their Balance Rewards card, and hold the face of Apple Watch up to the reader.
Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by credit and debit cards. In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, and Apple Watch.
“As you know, Walgreens is a customer-led company that aims to remove friction, making the experience as simple as possible,” Walgreens spokesperson Mailee Garcia told Loyalty360. “We were one of the first to offer Apple Pay and our customers had expressed interest in having our loyalty program become part of that experience. Walgreens believes digital wallets can provide broader convenience, which is why we’re the first to integrate our Balance Rewards loyalty program–with more than 85 million members–with Apple Pay. Users can simply add the Balance Rewards pass to Apple Wallet and by enabling “Automatic Selection” the pass will register when held to the reader.”
When Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the launch of Apple Pay last year, he believed it would transform mobile payments with an easy, secure, and private way to pay.
Walgreens, the nation’s largest drugstore chain, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than eight million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice. Walgreens operates 8,173 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.