Central Market wakes up, smells the crypto. H-E-B, you next?

Texas’ most famous grocer, H-E-B, has finally entered the big-city world of tap-to-pay. No more rummaging for loose change or fiddling with cards, just a quick tap and you're done.

Austin's two Central Market stores, owned by H-E-B, have introduced this new-fangled way of paying, joining the ranks of the modern world. No more fiddly self-checkout, just a tap of your phone or credit card and you're on your way. Left your wallet in the glove compartment? No problem, just tap your phone with Apple, Google, or Samsung Pay and you're good to go. They even take your fancy American Express, Discover, Visa, or Mastercard.

Back in January, an H-E-B spokesperson teased us with hints of this futuristic change, saying: "At H-E-B, we are actively exploring a broad range of technologies to enhance how customers shop and pay for products, and we hope to offer these services in the future."

Well, the future has arrived, my friend, at least at Central Market. No word yet on when H-E-B stores will catch up with this tap-to-pay malarkey, with a rep only saying: "We hope to offer these tap-to-pay services at more stores in the future."

So there you have it, folks. Texas grocers are joining the 21st century, one tap at a time. Now, if only they'd lower them darn taxes...