How is Ahold Delhaize Modernising the Checkout with Fiserv?

Ahold Delhaize USA has expanded its partnership with Fiserv to introduce a new digital payment option, Pay by Bank, for online grocery shoppers. 

This is the latest effort by the largest grocery retail group on the US East Coast – and the fourth largest in the country – to modernise its omnichannel infrastructure and provide customers with greater flexibility in how they pay.

The feature, available across The GIANT Company, Giant Food and Stop & Shop e-commerce sites and mobile apps, allows customers to pay securely and directly from their bank accounts. 

Unlike card-based transactions, Pay by Bank eliminates the need to enter or store card details, offering customers a streamlined and secure payment journey.

Since its late 2025 pilot, Ahold Delhaize USA says that “tens of thousands of customers have enrolled” in the new service.

This is an early indicator that US consumers are increasingly receptive to account-linked digital payments.

“Expanding digital payment choice is an example of how we continue to enhance our omnichannel platform, which in turn enables Ahold Delhaize USA brands to better serve their customers,” says Keith Nicks, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer of Ahold Delhaize USA. 

“Pay by Bank provides a simple way for customers to pay directly from their bank accounts, creating a seamless checkout experience and increased choice for the customer in terms of how they prefer to pay.”

The Ahold Delhaize-Fiserv partnership

The partnership leverages Fiserv’s embedded finance expertise, integrating directly into Ahold Delhaize’s proprietary digital platform, rather than using a third-party wallet or intermediary. 

This is both a new inroad into the US grocery market and a strong proof point for Pay by Bank’s commercial adaptability for Fiserv.

“Adding Pay by Bank is more than introducing a new tender type – it reflects our commitment to strengthening the omnichannel platforms behind everyday commerce,” says Lia Cao, Chief Revenue Officer, Enterprise and Platform Clients at Fiserv.

“We are proud to support Ahold Delhaize USA with technology that simplifies payments operations, improves efficiency and helps drive long-term growth across their brands.”

Bank-based payments and the future of retail checkout

Pay by Bank is part of a broader fintech trend in retail: reducing friction and fees associated with cards while improving trust through direct authentication. 

Consumers can link a checking account via secure verification – often using open banking protocols – and authorise payments instantly without manually entering credentials at checkout.

For enterprises, the approach brings measurable advantages. Direct bank transfers can reduce processing costs, minimise fraud exposure and shorten settlement times compared with card payments. 

The model also delivers stronger data control, as transactions are authenticated directly between consumer and bank.

In the UK and Europe, Pay by Bank adoption has accelerated under open banking regulations. 

It’s a different story in the US, however. 

Rollout has been slower – but large retail use cases like Ahold Delhaize’s show that there is a more established and growing readiness.

Ahold Delhaize’s omnichannel strategy

As well as improving operations for customers and enterprises alike, the initiative also reinforces Ahold Delhaize USA’s wider omnichannel evolution. 

As its family of brands – which includes Food Lion and Hannaford on top of Giant Food, The GIANT Company and Stop & Shop – form the largest grocery retail group on the US East Coast and the fourth largest nationally, working with Fiserv gives Ahold Delhaize tighter control over payment data and performance metrics. 

This is a shift toward a platform economy model where payment functionality becomes a strategic differentiator rather than a back-end service.

In coming months, Ahold Delhaize USA says it will “continue to build and enhance its omnichannel platform to improve and expand the user experience”.