Walmart Will Finally Accept Apple Pay and Google Pay Starting Aug. 24

BENTONVILLE, Ark. —

Walmart said Friday it will start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay at select Walmart and Sam's Club locations beginning August 24, ending nearly a decade of resistance to tap-to-pay technology at the country's largest retailer.

The company said tap-to-pay will expand to all US Walmart and Sam's Club stores by the end of 2026, and to Walmart's gas stations by mid-2027, according to the announcement.

A Long Holdout Ends

Walmart had been one of the few major US retailers that did not support Apple Pay or Google Pay, both of which let shoppers pay by tapping a phone or watch at checkout using near-field communication technology, TechCrunch reported. Instead, Walmart pushed its own tools, including Walmart Pay, a QR-code based checkout system it launched in 2016, and Scan-and-Go.

Walmart also once joined other big retailers in backing CurrentC, a rival mobile payment system meant to compete with Apple Pay. That effort collapsed and shut down in 2016, according to TechCrunch.

As recently as last year, a Walmart spokesperson told MacRumors the company preferred to stick with what it called convenient options like Walmart Pay rather than add NFC-based tap-to-pay, The Verge reported. Apple Pay is now accepted at 85 percent of US retailers, including most large chains, according to TechCrunch.

Framed As Customer Choice

In its announcement, Walmart said the shift is about giving shoppers more flexibility at checkout. "We want customers and members to have choice in how they pay, so they can check out in the way that works best for them," the company said. "Tap to Pay is a great addition to the other payment options already offered like cash, credit card or Walmart Pay."

Google, in its own announcement, said the update builds on an ongoing partnership between Google and Walmart, and encouraged shoppers to add a card to Google Wallet ahead of the rollout. Apple did not issue its own statement on the change, based on the material reported by The Verge and TechCrunch.

Neither Walmart nor TechCrunch detailed how many stores are part of the initial August 24 rollout, or which locations were chosen first.