Walmart will begin accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in the U.S., ending years of resistance to third-party tap-to-pay services. The rollout starts August 24 at select stores and clubs, with nationwide availability expected by the end of 2026.
Walmart said in its official announcement that Tap to Pay will later expand to all of its fuel stations by the middle of 2027.
Walmart Had Long Promoted Its Own Payment Options
For years, Walmart declined to support Apple Pay and Google Pay while promoting services such as Walmart Pay and Scan & Go. Customers could use those options alongside cash and traditional credit cards, but not the contactless mobile wallets commonly accepted by other major retailers.
Walmart had also previously participated in Merchant Customer Exchange, a retailer-backed effort to create a mobile payment platform called CurrentC. The project was intended to compete with services including Apple Pay but shut down in 2016.
Apple says Apple Pay is now accepted at more than 85% of U.S. retailers. Google separately confirmed that Google Pay will be supported as part of Walmart’s new contactless payment rollout.
Tap to Pay Will Roll Out in Stages
The first phase begins August 24 at selected Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations. Walmart expects all U.S. stores and clubs to support the technology by the end of the year.
Fuel stations will follow later, with full availability targeted for the middle of 2027.
Walmart said the addition is intended to give shoppers more ways to pay at checkout while keeping its existing payment services available. Customers will still be able to use options including cash, credit cards, and Walmart Pay.
The change brings Walmart in line with many other large U.S. retailers that already support contactless wallets. It also gives iPhone and Android users the option to pay directly with stored cards without using Walmart’s own mobile payment system.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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