What counts as 'mobile wallet'? Rewards rates for Kroger mastercard

[mtbizz]

Recently got Kroger family rewards elite mastercard (cashback) via USB.

Offers (capped) 5% on mobile wallet, Kroger pay spend.

However, neither category is giving me 5% so far. I've heard hints that some people have had issues with rewards rates too, but little detail to be found. I have a ticket with USB, but they have been slow.

So I'm wondering if anyone else has had this experience? Any insights?

I figure my best shot at figuring it out on my own is if it's a user error and I'm applying the categories wrong. I'm using Apple Wallet (photo) to pay for misc purchases, and Kroger pay via the Fred Meyer app for groceries.

[creditfan]

you will see a lumsum at the end of your statement. Do not need to lose slept about it, this is a known issue from USB

fyi, 

https://www.reddit.com/r/CreditCards/comments/1entbz3/kroger_mastercard_not_getting_5_back/

[zerofire]

The particular system has an identity crisis. Sometimes it will award 5% right away but sometimes it will award 1% and add the remaining 4% at statement close. As for what counts as mobile wallet it would be any transactions that go through: Apple Pay, Google Wallet(including previous names like Android Pay, Google Pay), PayPal, and Samsung Pay. There might be more wallets that it applies to but those are the ones approved off the top of my head and/or that I tried.

[UncleB]

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@zerofire wrote:

The particular system has an identity crisis. Sometimes it will award 5% right away but sometimes it will award 1% and add the remaining 4% at statement close. As for what counts as mobile wallet it would be any transactions that go through: Apple Pay, Google Wallet(including previous names like Android Pay, Google Pay), PayPal, and Samsung Pay. There might be more wallets that it applies to but those are the ones approved off the top of my head and/or that I tried.

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Identity crisis... LOL! (And so true.)

I'll add that I found out the hard way that Google Pay transactions will trigger the U.S. Bank mobile wallet category reliably only when making a payment by tapping your phone. (This was with my AR, but the same logic likely applies with the Kroger card.)

If you make an in-app or web payment using Google Pay it will depend on how the developer coded the app or web module on if it "counts" as mobile wallet - my experience was it was 50/50, which was annoying.  Note that this isn't an issue with Apple Pay (and is part of the reason I switched to iPhone last year). 

[TrapLine]

@UncleB 

Trader! Switching to an iPhone.

Used to have iPhones and got so tired of fighting the phone I surrendered and went to Android. Now, I find out US Bank can't handle Google Pay ... Geez!

It would be helpful to have ten year old available to assist me. In my mind I am a "Genius" ... in reality, there is a gap somewhere ...?

[UncleB]

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@TrapLine wrote:

Trader! Switching to an iPhone.

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I know, I know...   Honestly if it wasn't for Apple Pay/U.S. Bank AR, I'd still be on Android. 

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@TrapLine wrote:

Used to have iPhones and got so tired of fighting the phone I surrendered and went to Android. Now, I find out US Bank can't handle Google Pay ... Geez!

It would be helpful to have ten year old available to assist me. In my mind I am a "Genius" ... in reality, there is a gap somewhere ...?

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To be fair U.S. Bank can handle Android/Samsung decently enough (back when Samsung still had MST I did really well with the AR) but it's in-app payments that can be unpredictable.  The issue is with Google Pay you have no way of knowing if the DAN (tokenized Device Account Number) or 'real' account number is going to be used; it's trial-and-error.  For most people it doesn't make a difference as long as the transaction works, but of course for niche cases like us it actually does matter since it impacts the rewards rate.

All that said, if U.S. Bank nerfs the AR (may that day be far, far away) I'll be checking out the latest offering from Samsung the next day.  Also, you're spot-on about the usefulness of a 10 year old assistant; I'm blessed to have nieces and nephews in the 6 to 13 age bracket who are willing to help me out when necessary.  

[FicoMike0]

The wallet in my back pocket is pretty mobile. I walked it five miles today.

I thought about the Kroger card, sounds like more trouble than it's worth. I did get 10% on Kroger purchase from one of my usb cards recently. I'm not letting usb decide what kind of phone I use, I like my moto g fine.