How Peapod Uses QR Codes for Grocery Shopping

By Joe Waters from QR Codes For Dummies, Portable Edition

One company that is already seeing the future of QR Codes for purchases is Internet grocer Peapod, which is available in 24 U.S. cities. Hoping to capitalize on the needs of the busy consumer that spends, on average, 2.5 hours a week commuting to work, Peapod is buying ad space at commuter stops in Philadelphia pitching commuters on grocery shopping.

But instead of using the QR Code for direct purchases, the code on the display downloads the grocer’s smartphone app. Shoppers then have the choice of scanning the items on the ads, or browsing thousands of items featured in the app — just as they would in the bricks-and-mortar grocery store.

After you enter your credit card information in the Peapod app, it’s stored for later use. Using apps to pay for products and services purchased on mobile devices will probably be the next step for U. S. consumers, as they feel comfortable shopping and paying within apps.

However, it won’t be long before shoppers are bypassing the extra step of downloading an app and just scanning and paying in just a couple clicks. But even here QR Codes could play a key role.