Kohl’s Becomes First Retailer to Support Store Payments and Rewards With One Tap in Apple Pay

Kohls-Apple-Pay-One-TapKohl's has announced that customers can now pay for their purchases with Kohl’s Charge Cards or other credit or debit cards and simultaneously earn Yes2You Rewards loyalty points with a single tap using Apple Pay.

The combined functionality is currently available in approximately 250 Kohl’s stores in the United States, and the department store chain expects one-tap checkout to be available in all stores nationwide later this month.

Kohl's is the first retailer to offer a one-tap solution for payments and rewards using Apple Pay. Customers can simply add both their Kohl's Charge Card or other payment method and Yes2You Rewards card to Apple Pay and simultaneously pay and collect loyalty points upon checkout with one Touch ID tap for verification.

Kohl's has supported Apple Pay since June 2015, and last October it became the first retailer to allow store-branded cards to be used with the iPhone-based contactless payments service. JCPenney is also rolling out store card support.

Last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple Pay is "growing at a tremendous rate," with transaction volume up five times compared to a year ago and the service gaining one million new users per week. Apple Pay is currently available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore.

Cook noted that Apple Pay will launch in additional regions "soon," including Hong Kong and Spain through a partnership with American Express later this year. Visa and/or MasterCard support may also be coming soon in countries such as Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Kohl's

Top Rated Comments

Pfunstuff Avatar
100 months ago
Waiting on you Target...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
100 months ago
while this is good news, the fact that it's taken so long to get a single retailer to implement this spells doom for the future long-term viability of Apple Pay.
No. It doesn't.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmChimera Avatar
100 months ago
whether or not its the first or not, anyway, its critical for apple to get more on board for apple pay to be linked to in-house reward and points loyalty systems. if apple does not succeed at this, meaning that if apple is not willing to cede some margin to allow this, google android samsung and whatever comes along will have opportunity to beat apple. its critical.
Apple already allows it to work, it's up to retailers to implement it.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gsmornot Avatar
100 months ago
What's critical is the "one-tap" implementation. Of the few stores where I can use Pay, I'm still faced with a series of prompt and responses on a simple credit card transaction, with the ultimate insult having to sign my name.

Pay was supposed to be a convenient safer alternative. Right now the only advantage it has over the chip card, is that sometimes it processes faster.
The main benefit is the one time transaction code tied to a device ID versus your credit card number. This added level of security is the main reason to use the service. Limiting the number of to-do items after scan is a convenience that stores should implement. Even at the same number of steps the security is enough to use the feature.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macduke Avatar
100 months ago
Problem is, Apple's clientele and Kohl's are at two different ends of the economic spectrum. Can't imagine most Kohl's shoppers having Apple Watches.
I do. People value different things. I'm not sure why people can't get that through their head. I like saving money to buy the things I value and want most.

For instance, I'm closing on a much nicer and bigger new house next month with a great wooded view out the back, but drive a small base model sedan made in the late 90s (although to be fair I'll be replacing it with a nicer used Outback later this summer since we're having our second kid). I make my own sack lunches for work, but have an Apple Watch, iPhone 6s, iPad Air 2 and rMBP. I shop at Kohls and Gap for a lot of my clothes, and yet have thousands of dollars in high-end camera gear.

You see, I just don't care a lot about cars, or eating out, or wearing fancy clothes (which to me look mostly the same). I save my money and buy stuff with credit, which earns cash back rewards, and then I pay off my cards every month. And I'm certain there are far cheaper people than me who buy Apple Watches. The whole point of budgeting is to dial in your expenses so you spend less on things you don't care about, and save more for the stuff you really freaking want.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ivan0310 Avatar
100 months ago
Waiting on you Target...
I don't know if this could be a simultaneous deal, but I'm waiting for Target to get their RedCards on Apple Pay, and I would love it if they made Cartwheel compatible as well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 General Feature Black

New iOS Features Coming in 2024 for Messages, Apple Music, and More

Thursday December 28, 2023 7:30 am PST by
2024 is just a few days away, and there are many iOS 17 and iOS 18 features that are expected to launch throughout the year. Below, we have recapped new iOS features expected in 2024, including Stolen Device Protection, collaborative Apple Music playlists, AirPlay on hotel room TVs, app sideloading in the EU, next-generation CarPlay, roadside assistance via satellite outside of the U.S., RCS ...
iOS 17

iOS 17.3 Will Add These Two Useful Features to Your iPhone

Sunday December 24, 2023 8:59 am PST by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 17.3 earlier this month, and the upcoming software update includes two new features so far. iOS 17.3 will likely be released in January like iOS 16.3 and iOS 15.3 were, but February is also a possibility if testing is prolonged. Below, we provide additional details about the new features in iOS 17.3 so far. Stolen Device Protection Earlier this...
iPhone 17 Five Features Header

iPhone 17: Five Features Apple Plans to Save for 2025

Thursday December 28, 2023 2:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models concurrently, which is why we sometimes get rumored feature leaks so far ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and already we have some idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you plan to skip...
Mac Gaming

Apple Discusses Push Towards High-End Mac Gaming in New Interview

Thursday December 28, 2023 6:19 am PST by
Inverse's Raymond Wong today published an in-depth overview of Apple's increasing push towards high-end gaming on the Mac. The story includes commentary from Apple marketing managers Gordon Keppel and Leland Martin. One of the biggest reasons that gaming has improved on the Mac in recent years is the switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon, resulting in MacBooks providing...
Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Available in Apple Stores Starting Today, Online Sales to Resume Tomorrow

Wednesday December 27, 2023 2:28 pm PST by
Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2 are back in some of Apple's retail stores in the United States today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Select stores will have availability today, while all stores will have the Apple Watch models back in stock by December 30. Online sales of the devices are set to resume tomorrow by 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Apple is able to begin selling ...
iPhone 15 Blue Three Quarters Perspective Camera Closeup Feature

6 Essential iPhone Camera Tips for Taking Great Photos

Tuesday December 26, 2023 3:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhones include several headline camera features that are worth using, such as Portrait Mode and Photographic Styles. But if all you want to use is the standard photo mode, there are still several tools and settings that can improve the composition of your pictures and help you capture the perfect shot using more traditional techniques. Whether you are the owner of a new iPhone or a...
Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 Sales Ban Paused by US Appeals Court

Wednesday December 27, 2023 8:49 am PST by
The ban on imports of Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 models has today been temporarily paused, meaning that the devices can now go back on sale for a short while longer in the United States. Apple filed an emergency request to the United States Court of Appeals following President Biden's decision to decline a veto on the sales ban, allowing it to take effect earlier this week. ...