Walmart is finally letting customers tap and go. The retail giant announced Friday that it will begin accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay at its stores starting August 24, marking a dramatic reversal after years of pushing its own payment systems.
The rollout starts at select Walmart and Sam's Club locations across the U.S., with plans to expand to all stores and clubs by the end of 2026. Fuel stations will follow by mid-2027. Shoppers will be able to add their preferred cards to Google Wallet or Apple Wallet and pay with a simple tap.
For years, Walmart resisted the ubiquitous contactless payment technology, instead steering customers toward Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go. The company even joined forces with other big retailers in a failed attempt to challenge Apple Pay with an alternative mobile payment system called CurrentC, which was shut down in 2016.
Meanwhile, customer demand never faded. Apple Pay alone is now accepted at 85% of U.S. retailers, including most large stores. Walmart’s decision reads as an acknowledgment that its approach was disadvantaging its own shoppers.
The company is framing the move as expanding choice at checkout. “Tap to Pay is a great addition to the other payment options already offered like cash, credit card or Walmart Pay,” Walmart said in a statement. “And giving customers and members more choice at checkout is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier.”
