Walmart ends long wait for Apple Pay and Google Pay support
The US retail giant will begin accepting major mobile payment platforms at select locations on 24 August 2026, marking a significant shift from its reliance on in-house solutions.
Walmart and Sam’s Club will begin accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay at select locations in the United States on 24 August 2026. The retailer announced the move on Friday, signalling a departure from its previous strategy of relying primarily on its proprietary payment systems.
The initial rollout is limited to specific stores, but the company plans to expand tap-to-pay functionality to all US stores by the end of 2026. Gas stations are expected to support the feature by mid-2027. These timelines are described as targets rather than guaranteed deadlines.
This development marks a significant change for Walmart, which was one of the last major US retailers to not support Apple Pay or Google Pay. The company previously backed the short-lived CurrentC mobile payment service before launching its proprietary Walmart Pay QR code system in 2016.
In a statement to MacRumors last year, a Walmart spokesperson defended the lack of NFC-based payments by citing “convenient solutions” like Walmart Pay. However, the company’s announcement this week suggests a shift in tone, with the retailer stating that it wants customers and members to have “choice in how they pay.”
The move follows competitors such as Home Depot, which fully embraced tap-to-pay in 2024, and Subway and Walgreens, which supported Google Wallet as early as 2011. Apple Pay has been available in the market since 2014, making Walmart’s adoption a notable late entry into the contactless payment space.
The specific criteria for which cards are eligible for digital wallets have not been detailed, although the inclusion of OnePay cards suggests a comprehensive approach to the company’s payment ecosystem. The rollout applies to US stores and Sam’s Club locations, with no immediate indication of international expansion.
