Sainsbury's Smartshop and giftcards

Chomeur

I've been using the Sainsbury's Smartshop app for a while now, and finding it useful. Normally I go to the self-checkout terminals, scan the QR code there, and then proceed to pay there by scanning a gift card which is stored in my Google Pay wallet (I have a lot of giftcards!).

But today, I went into a store and it was different. There were no QR codes to scan on the self-checkout terminals. The only option seemed to be to pay through the app. This had a link to my Google Pay wallet which only let me pay by debit or credit card. I couldn't find a way to use my gift cards.

Is my understanding here, correct, or should there have been a way that I could use my gift cards? If not, then I need to be a little careful about which Sainsbury's stores I visit as I really need to use up my giftcard balance.

Thanks.

jon81uk

Chomeur said:

I've been using the Sainsbury's Smartshop app for a while now, and finding it useful. Normally I go to the self-checkout terminals, scan the QR code there, and then proceed to pay there by scanning a gift card which is stored in my Google Pay wallet (I have a lot of giftcards!).

But today, I went into a store and it was different. There were no QR codes to scan on the self-checkout terminals. The only option seemed to be to pay through the app. This had a link to my Google Pay wallet which only let me pay by debit or credit card. I couldn't find a way to use my gift cards.

Is my understanding here, correct, or should there have been a way that I could use my gift cards? If not, then I need to be a little careful about which Sainsbury's stores I visit as I really need to use up my giftcard balance.

Thanks.

Did you ask?

I used to use the app in a store during covid and go to full-size checkout and it all worked fine.

Simply asking "I used smartshop but want to pay at a till please" and I expect someone could have given you directions.

MSE_James

Yes I think there are two types of Smartshop stores - the ones where you scan a QR code on the way in and then use the tills at the end, and another type where everything is done in the app. 

Chomeur

It says on their website "

Whether you are using a SmartShop handset or the SmartShop app on your mobile phone, you can pay at a dedicated card-only SmartShop checkout or at a self-checkout that is SmartShop enabled (varies between stores)."

So this doesn't seem to be quite true - there were neither dedicated SmartShop checkouts nor ones where it was enabled. I'll ask Sainsbury's and see if they can help.

jon81uk you are wrong. I spoke to the manager and he didn't have a clue, made up nonsense about it not working because he claimed I must have not used the app for a long time etc.

jon81uk

Chomeur said:

It says on their website "

Whether you are using a SmartShop handset or the SmartShop app on your mobile phone, you can pay at a dedicated card-only SmartShop checkout or at a self-checkout that is SmartShop enabled (varies between stores)."

So this doesn't seem to be quite true - there were neither dedicated SmartShop checkouts nor ones where it was enabled. I'll ask Sainsbury's and see if they can help.

jon81uk you are wrong. I spoke to the manager and he didn't have a clue, made up nonsense about it not working because he claimed I must have not used the app for a long time etc.

sounds like the manager was trying to fob you off.

Were you in a Sainsbury's local though rather than a full size store?

As the website does state
"Whether you are using a SmartShop handset or the SmartShop app on your mobile phone, you can pay at a dedicated card-only SmartShop checkout or at a self-checkout that is SmartShop enabled (varies between stores).

If you are smart shopping in a convenience store using the SmartShop app on an iPhone, you may be able to pay with Apple Pay and avoid the checkouts completely (available in selected stores, see store signs)."

It suggests that in the convenience stores you may be able to pay on your phone, but not in the full size ones. Sounds like you were in a convience store that time hence the manager not being familar with it as most people wouldn't use smartshop as its just as easy to scan at the self checkout for a small number of items.

Its been a few years since I used the app though, I moved house and the new local store has scanners. But when I did use it, I was able to check out at a full size staffed check out without issues, it never gave me the option to pay in the app.

dealyboy

As I understand it there are full smartshop stores, hybrid ones and non-smartshop.

When this first started a couple of years ago I saw a list of stores online which showed my local store (medium-sized) was a hybrid (which means I need to use the app and can use a selfscan till with QR code or a till with a cashier) and the store in the next town (large) was full smartshop (which means they have handhelds and dedicated tills).

I just wish they would upgrade my local store, as shopping with a smartphone is such a faff.

400ixl

Handhelds will over time be going away, not becoming more common. They don't want to be having the cost of hardware when they can pass that on to the consumer and their mobile phone.

jon81uk

400ixl said:

Handhelds will over time be going away, not becoming more common. They don't want to be having the cost of hardware when they can pass that on to the consumer and their mobile phone.

Seems to be going the other way, a few stores have added scanners recently.

Cheaper to encourage customers to self-scan than to employ staff to open more full-size checkouts.

Chomeur

jon81uk said:

sounds like the manager was trying to fob you off.

Were you in a Sainsbury's local though rather than a full size store?

As the website does state
"Whether you are using a SmartShop handset or the SmartShop app on your mobile phone, you can pay at a dedicated card-only SmartShop checkout or at a self-checkout that is SmartShop enabled (varies between stores).

If you are smart shopping in a convenience store using the SmartShop app on an iPhone, you may be able to pay with Apple Pay and avoid the checkouts completely (available in selected stores, see store signs)."

It suggests that in the convenience stores you may be able to pay on your phone, but not in the full size ones. Sounds like you were in a convience store that time hence the manager not being familar with it as most people wouldn't use smartshop as its just as easy to scan at the self checkout for a small number of items.

Its been a few years since I used the app though, I moved house and the new local store has scanners. But when I did use it, I was able to check out at a full size staffed check out without issues, it never gave me the option to pay in the app.

It was a Sainsbury's Local, but a very large one, with about 20 self-checkout tills. I see what you are saying - if it's a shop where you're allowed to pay on your phone, most people wouldn't have reason to use a till. If I go again I'll have a closer look to see if there was a till I could have used, but from what I saw, yesterday, none of them was displaying a QR code as they usually do for people using SmartShop.

jon81uk

Chomeur said:

jon81uk said:

sounds like the manager was trying to fob you off.

Were you in a Sainsbury's local though rather than a full size store?

As the website does state
"Whether you are using a SmartShop handset or the SmartShop app on your mobile phone, you can pay at a dedicated card-only SmartShop checkout or at a self-checkout that is SmartShop enabled (varies between stores).

If you are smart shopping in a convenience store using the SmartShop app on an iPhone, you may be able to pay with Apple Pay and avoid the checkouts completely (available in selected stores, see store signs)."

It suggests that in the convenience stores you may be able to pay on your phone, but not in the full size ones. Sounds like you were in a convience store that time hence the manager not being familar with it as most people wouldn't use smartshop as its just as easy to scan at the self checkout for a small number of items.

Its been a few years since I used the app though, I moved house and the new local store has scanners. But when I did use it, I was able to check out at a full size staffed check out without issues, it never gave me the option to pay in the app.

It was a Sainsbury's Local, but a very large one, with about 20 self-checkout tills. I see what you are saying - if it's a shop where you're allowed to pay on your phone, most people wouldn't have reason to use a till. If I go again I'll have a closer look to see if there was a till I could have used, but from what I saw, yesterday, none of them was displaying a QR code as they usually do for people using SmartShop.

Yeah that’s probably it, the local stores are probably set up for pay on the app so you can just grab the few items pay and rush out avoiding the queues. 

Chomeur

Sainsbury's have been hopeless on this. They insisted I give them my address, although obviously that's not relevant to my question. Then they suggested I call their "specialized" customer service team, or their Nectar team (but it's nothing to do with Nectar) or suggested that maybe it's a problem with the app. They don't seem to have a clue, just like the manager in the store.