Walmart recommends using Walmart Pay.
Despite widespread adoption, Walmart has doubled down that it will not accept NFC-based payments like Apple Pay, at least not in the United States.
Walmart has more than 4,500 stores in the United States, exactly zero of which accept Apple Pay. Or Google Pay. Alternatively, you can tap to pay with your credit or debit card.
This is because large retailers have decided to avoid NFC-based payments altogether. And I think it will continue to be that way.
A Walmart representative contacted me. MacRumors And provided them with the following statement:
We do not accept NFC and instead implement convenient solutions like Walmart Pay to provide easy, touchless payments to our customers from any smartphone. We’ve also invested in innovative technologies beyond payments, like Scan & Go, which allows Sam’s Club and Walmart+ members to provide a truly touchless shopping experience, bypassing payments entirely.
The company has spent more than a decade developing its own convenient payment methods. This includes Walmart Pay, which allows customers to scan a QR code to pay with the card stored in their Walmart account. Walmart Pay has been available since 2016.
Of course, this means customers must have a Walmart account, have a credit or debit card saved to their account, and then have the Walmart app on their phone. Few things are as set-and-forget as Apple Pay.
Walmart+ subscribers can take advantage of another feature, Scan & Go, which allows them to scan product barcodes while shopping. You can then skip the checkout line entirely.
So it appears that Walmart is committed to avoiding NFC payments for as long as possible in order to entice consumers to use its own solution. At least that’s the case in the US. like MacRumors As noted, Walmart stores in Canada have accepted Apple Pay since 2020.
Apple Pay launched on October 20, 2014, making it a little over 10 years old. Recent studies have shown that customers love the ease of use, security, and privacy it offers.
Most major retailers now accept Apple Pay and other NFC-based payment methods. Some notable holdouts, such as Midwestern grocery retailer Kroger and home improvement chain The Home Depot, have also begun accepting Apple Pay in recent years.
