Fastrack · Walmart Set to Accept Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Walmart will add tap-to-pay to checkout stations at US stores and Sam's Club locations beginning August 24. Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other contactless options will be accepted.

All US stores and clubs are targeted for completion by end of 2026.
Fuel stations will be upgraded by mid-2027.
85% of US retailers already accept Apple Pay, which launched in 2014.
Walmart previously joined retailers backing CurrentC, a failed Apple Pay rival shut down in 2016.

Why it matters: Walmart was a prominent holdout on NFC payments, directing customers toward its proprietary Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go apps. The shift ends that stance for the country's largest retailer.

Eligible Walmart, Sam's Club, and OnePay cards can also be added to digital wallets.

How 9 sources split on this story

Source landscape

Factuality

High

Mixed

Low

Strong LeftLeftLean LeftCenterLean RightRightStrong Right

Political Bias

Coverage by lean% of 9 sources

9 sources · 9 articles · 56% Center coverage

Where they split: Outlets agree on the facts but disagree on what the move signals: a consumer-friendly upgrade or an admission that Walmart's proprietary payment strategy failed.

Center coverage, 5 sources: The center frames this as Walmart belatedly catching up to an industry standard that competitors, including Home Depot, reached years earlier.

Engadget3hWalmart Will Finally Accept Tap To Pay In Stores By The End Of 2026

Axios2hWalmart finally adding Apple Pay, other tap-to-pay options PenPennLive3hWalmart adds new ways to pay and it’s been a long time coming

USA Today2hWalmart, Sam's Club stores will soon offer a new way to pay WNCWFLA News Channel 81hTap-to-pay option finally coming to Walmart at select stores

Left coverage, 3 sources: The left frames this as Walmart conceding defeat after years of pushing inferior proprietary payments on customers who wanted standard tap-to-pay.

TechCrunch4hWalmart to finally start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay | TechCrunch

Business Insider3hWalmart will start accepting tap-to-pay options in stores and clubs

The Verge2hWalmart is finally adding Apple Pay and Google Pay

Right1 source

New York Post49mWalmart and Sam's Club finally answer pleas for easy new payment option to speed up check-out

What’s next: Rollout expands from select stores August 24 to all US locations by December 31.

Fuel station upgrades follow, with a mid-2027 target completion date.
Whether Walmart Pay continues as a distinct option or is gradually phased out alongside the new rollout.
How quickly customer adoption of tap-to-pay shifts after years of Walmart directing shoppers to its own apps.