Walmart Finally Gives In: Apple Pay & Google Pay Are Coming To Stores

After years of keeping mainstream tap-to-pay services out of its checkout experience, Walmart is changing direction. The retail giant will begin accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations from August 24.
 

TL;DR

 

• Walmart will begin adding Tap to Pay at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations from August 24.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay support is expected across all stores and clubs by the end of 2026.
• Walmart plans to extend the feature to all its fuel stations by mid-2027.
• The decision marks a major change after years of prioritizing Walmart Pay and other in-house payment options.

 

Walmart Begins Apple Pay And Google Pay Rollout From August 24

Walmart is ending its long resistance to contactless payment services that have already become commonplace across much of US retail.

Starting August 24, Walmart will introduce Tap to Pay at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations, enabling customers to check out using Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Availability will expand gradually, with Walmart expecting the feature to reach all stores and clubs by the end of the year. The retailer also plans to introduce Tap to Pay across all its fuel stations by the middle of 2027.

For shoppers, the change adds another familiar checkout option alongside cash, credit cards, Walmart Pay, and the retailer’s existing payment methods.
 

 

Walmart’s Apple Pay Reversal Follows Years Of Backing Its Own Payment Systems

Walmart’s decision stands out because the retailer had previously taken a very different approach to mobile payments.

Rather than adopting Apple Pay, Walmart focused on services such as Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go. It also joined other major retailers in backing CurrentC, an alternative mobile payment system intended to compete with emerging services such as Apple Pay.

That initiative failed to establish itself and was discontinued in 2016. Meanwhile, contactless payments continued gaining ground across the country.

Apple says Apple Pay is now accepted at 85% of US retailers, including many major stores, making Walmart an increasingly prominent exception as consumer adoption expanded.
 

 

Walmart Says Tap To Pay Will Give Shoppers More Checkout Options

The rollout represents a clear change in Walmart’s payment strategy. After years of emphasizing its own digital checkout tools, the retailer is now giving shoppers access to payment services they may already use across other stores and devices.

Walmart is presenting the move as an expansion of customer choice.

“Tap to Pay is a great addition to the other payment options already offered like cash, credit card or Walmart Pay — where customers can use the Walmart app to pay, view purchases and receipts, as well as access Walmart+ fuel savings. At Sam’s Club, members can also use Scan & Go to scan and pay as they shop, skipping the traditional checkout line,” the company’s announcement stated.

“And giving customers and members more choice at checkout is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier.”

Whatever prompted the change, the result is straightforward: Walmart customers will soon have Apple Pay and Google Pay available at checkout without needing to depend exclusively on Walmart’s own mobile payment options.

For a retailer that held out for years while contactless payments became increasingly common, that makes the rollout more significant than a typical checkout update.