The mobile payments war is far from over. In fact, it just got much more interesting since Walmart entered the scene—yes, mega retailer Walmart announced recently that it plans to offer mobile payments to its shoppers. Walmart Pay has launched as a feature in the retailer’s existing smartphone app. That will be compatible with all credit cards, debit cards, and Walmart gift cards. Considering that the company accounts for about 10 percent of the retail sales in the country, the service can potentially pose a challenge to Apple Pay and Android Pay. “Walmart Pay is the latest example – and a powerful addition – of how we are transforming the shopping experience by seamlessly connecting online, mobile and stores for the 140 million customers who shop with us weekly,” said Neil Ashe, president & CEO of Walmart Global eCommerce. Open, Scan, Done Walmart’s payment method won’t be using the near field communication (NFC) technology (adopted by Apple, Android, and other “tap to pay” systems). Instead, it enables payments by scanning QR codes at point of sale terminals in the store. Additionally, the user will have to set a 4-digit passcode (or use Touch ID, if you have an iPhone) to authenticate purchase. Once set up, the user can pay for purchases in the checkout line by selecting Walmart Pay from the app’s “Shop” menu. Here’s a catch: since its system relied in a smartphone’s camera, rather than an NFC chip, it’s compatible with a larger number of devices—Apple added NFC capabilities starting with iPhone 6 and let’s not forget that many lower-end Android handsets don’t support the feature, either. Walmart’s move doesn’t come as a surprise. The company claims it already has 22 million people using its app every month, so building payments into...