Walmart Stands Firm on Why It Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in the U.S.

[jblank]

It's weird that they accept ApplePay in Canada but not in the US. Yet one more reason to move north! I avoid shopping at Walmart. There are plenty of alternatives where I can pay with my phone.

The ONLY reason to move to Canada is if you like mild Summers.

 

[orangeadrenaline]

I applied for a Walmart credit card, added it to the Walmart app, and only use it for Walmart. Three clicks and a scan is still convenient for me. What I use the most is delivery. Produce and meat are the only things I physically go and buy and I don't buy them at Walmart.

The Walmart credit card was discontinued last year.

The Walmart app used to have a Walmart pay option when you force pressed the app. No longer.

 

[Tagbert]

Remember when they were part of that hilariously bad CurrentC scheme and tried to get a bunch of other retailers in on it?

Walmart Pay is pretty much CurrentC without the other partners.

I'm fine if they want to use that and steer their customers to use it, perhaps with some extra discounts, but I hate that they force it and don't give you another option. Though I only very rarely shop there so my opinion is not important to Walmart.

 

[technole]

I actually forgot they don't during the black friday deals when buying PSVR2 in electronics since I don't go in the store much, and told the guy i bet this happens often while whipping out a physical card for the reader from my purse.

 

[nathansz]

At Walmart because they refuse Apple Pay, out of all my cards I choose to pay with an international Amex so they have to eat the highest transaction fees.

a lot of places in Canada don't accept Amex because it has the highest fee's

most places are debit, visa or mastercard

 

[apparatchik]

they could also exclude those cards

or all debit cards in the us visa or mastercard?

here they are issued by the bank/credit union

They are issued by the bank but work within the visa / mastercard payment networks (some or most of them, I think, you can see if the debit card has a visa or mastercard logo in it, regardless of it having the bank's general branding)

 

[harmonthe3rd]

Walmart and Home Depot need to move into the 21st century.

They are definitely in the 21st century. They built up the Walmart Satellite Network to respond to consumer demand, management needs and telephone communications. They did this back in 1987. Companies are just starting to do the same in 2025. Walmart remains the number one company in the world by revenue, with Amazon not to far behind. Like or dislike them, they definitely know how to run a business.

 

[harmonthe3rd]

The Walmart credit card was discontinued last year.

The Walmart app used to have a Walmart pay option when you force pressed the app. No longer.

Not through Capital One. They will eventually become quicksilver cards but mine hasn't changed as of yet.

 

[cmwade77]

So, let me see if I understand their logic:

1. Install an app on my phone
2. Register for the app
3. Add my existing payment information to the app
4. Then I can do the following:
   1. Open the app at the store
   2. Find the QR code to scan
   3. Scan the QR Code to pay

And somehow that is easier than just tapping my phone with Apple or Google pay?

Sorry, nope, not going to happen.

 

[Scott6666]

Walmart is 20-30% less expensive than traditional grocery stores. If you buy Great Value products they’re often 50% less expensive. I’ll insert my Apple Card for those savings. And I do, weekly.

 

[icwhatudidthere]

Not through Capital One. They will eventually become quicksilver cards but mine hasn't changed as of yet.

There’s a new Walmart credit card?

 

[nathansz]

They are issued by the bank but work within the visa / mastercard payment networks (some or most of them, I think, you can see if the debit card has a visa or mastercard logo in it, regardless of it having the bank's general branding)

here they all work on the Interac network, which is owned by the banks

you won't see visa or mastercard logos on debit cards here

 

[Countrybear79]

They don't want to pay credit card fees if they can help it. Their entire statement avoids that simple fact.

Their Scan & Go tech worked to pay by card at Sam's Club last time I used it. If they turned that off they did so on purpose. They could easily integrate it with Apple Pay but choose not to.

Not having apple pay doesnt negate them having to pay processing fees. They will always pay credit card transaction fees, debit card fees are lower than credit card fees.

Scan & go isnt designed by apple, its done by walmart/sams club. Yes, they could integrate apple pay but why bother….it works fine with storing your card(s), plus as a member, you’d already have the app downloaded for a variety of reasons. With walmart though, i dont step foot into that wasteland unless I must…the last thing I want to do is download ANOTHER app for a store I dont care for just to use tap & pay. There is no excuse.

When

 

[Momof2.1107]

I didn't think about that. I will have to look into it. Thanks for the heads up.

I also use my PayPal debit card at every grocery store I shop at for the 5% cash back.

 

[apparatchik]

here they all work on the Interac network, which is owned by the banks

you won't see visa or mastercard logos on debit cards here

A bit off-topic already but, are US debit cards not international? you can’t use them for online payments on european shops for example? or when traveling abroad?

 

[jz0309]

So..... vote with your feet. Just don't buy from them. There's plenty of shops in the UK that have still to implement contactless. When I find them, I just walk out. I'm not being petty - I don't carry cash. So I couldn't purchase anyway. But the point is, I don't go back in there in future - at least not for a while.

Well, here’s the thing, I don’t buy produce there neither clothing.
But, “brand” items are way cheaper than any other local store, eg: dish soap, almost $1 less than everywhere else. And then selection, eg my wife is gluten free, she likes digiorno gluten free frozen pizza, can’t find that anywhere besides Walmart.
Yesterday I was there, got a total of 10 items that saved me about $10.

So, I don’t like shopping there because of the crowdiness, but the savings are significant enough

 

[CMoore515]

I've used Walmart Pay with a credit card years ago, it was NOT convenient or easier at all.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

A spokesperson for Walmart today informed MacRumors that its position on contactless payments has not changed since we last reached out about the matter in 2022. The big-box retailer said it remains focused on its own convenient payment technologies available in the Walmart app, including Walmart Pay and Mobile Scan & Go.

Well, credit card processors are probably going to try to end this practice when they start pushing liabilities for fraud fully to merchants unless they start accepting NFC payments. This won’t end well for Walmart in long run.

 

[spazzcat]

Yes... I edited my comment to mention Sam's. I use Scan & Go at Sam's often.



Thanks! I'm not a Walmart+ subscriber either. And I've never noticed the Scan & Go stations. But I'll keep an eye out next time I go to Walmart. (which isn't often)

At Walmart you use the self checkouts to pay with scan and go, but you have to Walmart+ user to have access to the feature.

 

[spazzcat]

I am a current Walmart+ member and use the Scan and Go whenever I physically visit Walmart. 90% of the time I have my groceries and other purchases delivered to my home within the 2 hour time frame I choose. I love the Scan and Go feature, as I scan and bag my groceries as I go. I use the dedicated Scan and Go checkout or whichever checkout is available, select the only card I have saved to my account, my PayPal debit card because I receive 5% cash back for every grocery purchase. Scanning takes and paying takes me less than 30 seconds and I’m walking out the door to my car. I rather pay that way, as I hate interacting with cashiers and prefer to bag my groceries my way.

How does PP work with holds Walmart puts on the card?

 

[andreagrandi]

I have a technical question around it: In Europe it does not matter if a company specifically accepts Apple Pay or not. It will work as long as they accept contactless payment (i.e. holding your physical credit card close to the terminal instead of your phone). Is that not the case in the U.S. / at Wallmart?

I am reading the Wallmart statement like they ban all forms of contactless payment but am confused of why the article itself mainly speaks about Apple Pay rather than contactless payments in general.

I came here exactly to say this. Everywhere I pay, I simply say "card, thanks" and then I touch with my Apple Watch

 

[spazzcat]

So, let me see if I understand their logic:

1. Install an app on my phone
2. Register for the app
3. Add my existing payment information to the app
4. Then I can do the following:
   1. Open the app at the store
   2. Find the QR code to scan
   3. Scan the QR Code to pay

And somehow that is easier than just tapping my phone with Apple or Google pay?

Sorry, nope, not going to happen.

It isn't faster or easier, but if you are W+ user you kind of have to use it.

 

[izzy0242mr]

The Walmart app used to have a Walmart pay option when you force pressed the app. No longer.

Weird. Still works on Android (long press).

 

[izzy0242mr]

am confused of why the article itself mainly speaks about Apple Pay rather than contactless payments in general.

The article says "Apple Pay" because this (MacRumors) is a news website devoted to Apple-related news.

Walmart (just one L, not two) does ban contactless payment in general.

 

[MrMojo1]

I don’t understand. Walmart Pay doesn’t let you pay with credit card?

You can link your debit or credit card in its app for payment.
When you use the self checkout register, you can also log into your account with your telephone and pay for your stuff via the linked account.
Walmart also better tracks your purchase history.
Walmart doesn't offer contactless (tapping) payment. You can't tap your debit/credit card to the card reader but must insert or slide the card to pay.