The new till-free technology is the first stage in a long-term innovation partnership, aimed at creating more digital payment solutions for Sainsbury’s and improving its customer offering. The new Checkout.com-enabled SmartShop functionality, will allow customers to pay for their shopping without having to visit a till. Instead, they will pay on-the-go via Sainsbury’s SmartShop app on their smartphones, saving them time and creating a more flexible shopping experience.

Underpinning the new functionality will be Checkout.com’s payments platform, enabling transactions through digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. This is live across Sainsbury’s ‘scan-and-go’ SmartShop stores and will be rolled out to Argos and Habitat stores in the coming months.

Helen Hunter, Chief Technology Officer, Customer and Data, Sainsbury’s, said: “Our priority is providing our customers with a smooth and frictionless shopping experience. We’re excited to roll out this new capability, made possible by Checkout.com’s technology, as we redefine an omnichannel checkout experience for customers with SmartShop.

“Our strategic partnership with Checkout.com is an important part of our plan to simplify and modernise our payments infrastructure across Sainsbury’s. We’re delighted to award Checkout.com our supplier award for ‘One to Watch’ as a testament to their ability to go above and beyond. We look forward to evolving our omnichannel strategy, underpinned by Checkout.com’s platform.”

ProcessOut, a Checkout.com product, will also act as Sainsbury’s payment orchestration platform, directing all processing across the business. Once fully implemented, this will allow Sainsbury’s to streamline its legacy systems, meaning it can see online orders in real-time, permitting better data-driven decisions and insights, and more tailored offers and experiences for its customers.

Additionally, Sainsbury’s has awarded Checkout.com the Sainsbury’s Tech ‘Ones to Watch’ a highly commended prize at this year’s Sainsbury’s TECH Supplier Awards. The award signifies the strength of the partnership which will see the two companies will run a hackathon in Q1 next year, gathering engineers from both sides to share payment expertise and tackle additional challenges for Sainsbury’s.

Commenting on the partnership, Leela Srinivasan, Chief Marketing Officer at Checkout.com, said: “Winning the business of an iconic British retailer such as Sainsbury’s is a testament to the role we play in enabling businesses to thrive in the digital economy. Our technology enables us to keep innovating with merchants to deliver new seamless checkout experiences for consumers and push the boundaries of omnichannel. It’s also humbling to be recognised by our merchant with such an award based on our service. We look forward to a successful partnership with Sainsbury’s.”