Walmart Pay expanded to Washington state stores

Starting Thursday, Wal-Mart customers in Washington state will be able to pay for their purchases using the Walmart app on their smartphones.

The feature, called Walmart Pay, works with any iOS or Android smartphone that can download the Walmart app, and with any major credit, debit, prepaid or Wal-Mart gift card, according to the retailer.

It works like this: Once the Walmart Pay feature is activated and set up on a customer’s phone, using it involves opening the Walmart app, choosing the Walmart Pay feature and activating the camera. At the checkout line, the customer then scans the code displayed at the register. The checkout person then scans and bags the items, with the eReceipt then sent to the app.

Walmart launched the feature in December in a few stores, saying it would be rolling it out nationally to all stores in the first half of 2016.

The retail giant says that, each month, more than 20 million customers use the Walmart app for everything from checking in to pick up online orders at a store, to refilling pharmacy prescriptions, to finding an item’s store location.