In seven states, you no longer need to bring along your wallet to shop at the local Walmart.

No, I’m not talking about becoming a shop-lift artist, I’m talking about using the Walmart Pay option. Walmart Pay allows you to upload your payment information directly into the Walmart app and simply use your smartphone to pay at checkout.

The seven southern states where this has become a reality include Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Look for this to go national in the next 12 months.

Once you enter your credit card information into the app, all you have to do is open the Walmart app (iOS, Android), enter your PIN, and hold your phone over the code to scan. Done. Pick up your bags and leave. You’ll then get your e-receipt shortly via email.

Using your smartphone to complete purchases is not a brand spanking new technology. The trend started with Apple Pay and has since grown to individual retail chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts.

But…buyer beware. Retailers know that the easier they make it for you to complete purchases, the more likely you’ll be to buy stuff you don’t necessarily need. Or worse yet, make it easy to forget what exactly you’ve purchased and how it affected your monthly budget.

Molly Blakeman, a Walmart spokesperson, essentially reaffirmed this, “One day we hope that people don’t remember if they purchased something online or in a Walmart store because it’s so seamless.”

Ask the Reader:  Have you ever used your smartphone to make a purchase?

By Kyle James