Are Target and Walmart customers dreaming of a mobile checkout Christmas?

Target and Walmart are so me-too. This week, the two retail giants made separate announcements that mobile checkout technology is now available in each chain’s stores across the country. Now, customers looking to avoid long checkout lines in either’s stores can find an associate equipped with a handheld device to expedite the process.

The retailers’ press announcements were, as you might expect, very similar since the chains are using identical technology. The biggest difference, based on the press releases issue by Target and Walmart, was the name each company gave to the mobile POS tech. Target went with “Skip the Line” while “Check Out With Me” was Walmart’s choice.

Following are how each retailer described the new service.

Target

“Using specially-equipped handheld devices, team members simply scan any item in a guest’s basket or shopping cart and accept payment by credit card on the spot from anywhere in the store. During peak events like Black Friday, team members will be located in the busiest areas of the store, such as Electronics.”

Walmart

“Walmart is positioning associates in the busiest areas of its stores, like the garden center, electronics or in action alley, so customers can bypass regular checkout lines and pay for everything right in the department they are shopping. Associates will help customers pay and go by simply swiping their credit card and providing them with a paper or electronic receipt for their purchase.”

• Target Ushers in the Holidays with Reveal of Black Friday Deals, New “Skip-the-Line” Mobile Checkout Technology and Season-Long Savings – Target Corporation
• Walmart Brightens Customer Experience and Expands Assortment to Help Customers Light Up Christmas – Walmart Inc.