Walmart Finally Starts Accepting Apple Pay After More Than a Decade

After years of customer requests, Walmart is finally rolling out support for Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay options in the United States.

The retail giant began introducing contactless payments at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations on August 24, 2026, marking a major shift after more than a decade of resisting Apple Pay.

The new payment system allows shoppers to pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, smartphones, and supported smartwatches.

The rollout is initially limited to selected stores, but Walmart plans to make tap-to-pay available across all U.S. Walmart and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026. Its fuel stations are expected to receive the feature by mid-2027.

Walmart’s decision comes after years of shoppers asking the retailer to support Apple Pay.

Apple launched Apple Pay in 2014, but Walmart chose not to adopt the technology, instead promoting its own Walmart Pay, which uses QR codes at checkout.

That made Walmart one of the most prominent retailers in the U.S. where customers couldn’t simply hold an iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to complete a purchase.

Apple Pay is now accepted at more than 85% of U.S. retailers, making Walmart’s long-standing absence particularly noticeable to mobile-wallet users.

The move doesn’t mean Walmart is abandoning its own payment system.

Walmart Pay will continue to be available, giving shoppers the option to use either Walmart’s system or third-party digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. Walmart says the change is ultimately about giving customers more choice and making checkout easier.