Walmart Still Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in U.S. Despite Many Customer Requests

[SFjohn]

A big CVS opened near me a few years back. They didn’t take Apple Pay and I never used them because of that… they’re out business now and a gym is there. Everyone near us takes Apple Pay, except for a local movie complex that I don’t expect to last long either.

 

[orangeadrenaline]

I use Walmart Pay, Kroger Pay, and Apple Pay. I don’t care as long as it works.

 

[gpitman]

A quick search on Twitter reveals that Walmart faces numerous requests to accept Apple Pay on a daily basis, but the big-box retailer still does not accept the iPhone's tap-to-pay service at its over 4,700 stores across the United States.

Walmart has instead committed to its own payments service called Walmart Pay, available through the Walmart app on the iPhone. Instead of using NFC technology like Apple Pay and many other mobile wallets, Walmart Pay allows customers to scan a QR code displayed at checkout to pay for their purchase with a payment card stored in the app.

"We do not accept NFC and instead have implemented convenient solutions, such as Walmart Pay, that provide our customers easy, touchless payments on any smartphone," a Walmart spokesperson told MacRumors this week. "We have also invested in innovative technologies that go beyond payments, such as Scan & Go, which allow Sam's Club and Walmart+ members to bypass the checkout altogether."

There are certainly some benefits for Walmart in pushing its own mobile payments service, including getting more customers to download the Walmart app, being able to track a customer's purchase history, and avoiding Apple Pay fees, but it's clear that Walmart is ignoring one of its customers' most frequent requests as a result.

Apple Pay launched just over eight years ago, on October 20, 2014. In a press release earlier this year, Apple said that Apple Pay is accepted at more than 90 percent of U.S. retailers, with some major holdouts including Walmart, The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Kroger. Walmart did start accepting Apple Pay in Canada in late 2020.

Article Link: Walmart Still Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in U.S. Despite Many Customer Requests

Let’s face it, the US is only just catching up to modern payments, the UK and Canada have had tap to pay for many years, yet even this past summer when in Vegas my credit card was taken away to be swiped so I can sign the slip.

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

Does Super Target have all the groceries that Walmart has ?

I live in the Midwest. In the same shopping strip mall or whatever you call it, there is a Target and a Walmart, along with a Lowes, Home Depot, Best Buy and many other chain stores.

Both the Target and Walmart have groceries. The stock basically the same things when it comes to nonperishable items. Boxed/bagged anything, condiment's, bottled or can drinks etc. All brand name stuff plus their own brands I guess (do not usually buy). Walmart is usually cheaper for all that stuff. Each has their own rewards systems where you can save more but I do not use them so I am not sure who comes out better.

Walmart has a bigger selection of meat and produce. However, for that kind of stuff, I personally will go to a grocery store as I feel it is fresher and "better" at a grocery store. I have bought produce from both, and it was fine, however it usually something like bagged spinach that I freeze for smoothies anyhow. Meat not so much or ever to be honest.

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

A big CVS opened near me a few years back. They didn’t take Apple Pay and I never used them because of that… they’re out business now and a gym is there. Everyone near us takes Apple Pay, except for a local movie complex that I don’t expect to last long either.

Lol...the CVS went out of business because of not taking Apple pay? I suspect all/most movie theaters will go out of business soon as well and it has nothing to do with Apple pay either.

 

[SurfMacJpMtb]

How about Home Depot & Lowes? No aPay!

 

[JustiNYCity]

I was fortunate last month to take a two week work trip through Germany, Switzerland, Milan & Cinque Terre Italy (small seaside villages in Liguria, Italy). In Cinque Terre , elderly women selling art in back alleys took Apple Pay. Contactless was the norm. I could've legit lived off of just my phone. I rarely go to Walmart but damnit it sucks that they hold onto their payment system; in addition the store is always such an unpleasant experience, granted they do have great prices. They could at least adopt Sam's Club scan and pay on your phone, but I could see that becoming a hot mess very quickly.

 

[Don1985]

In Scotland, It’s pretty much just small businesses that don’t accept contactless (and that’s even very rare). It’s great just tapping your watch. The downside is I always forget my wallet now as it’s almost redundant!

 

[dannyyankou]

It's never going to happen. They're Americas largest retailer, both in stores, customers, and sales. As long as they avoid that fee, they'll continue to use their proprietary payment app.

 

[PeteDin206]

Wait people actually shop at Walmart?

 

[bradl]

"However, I didn't say that Walmart was the reason he caught COVID; I said that he caught COVID from being AT WALMART."

Same difference really.

no, complete difference. Walmart isn't the source of COVID, nor did he say or claim that Walmart GAVE HIM COVID. That is a direct claim there, as Walmart would be directly involved. Walmart was the place where he caught it, as someone else who had been there had it transmitting throughout the store. Walmart was indirectly involved in that, and not the reason he caught it. Someone else had it going around, and unfortunately, they went to that Walmart.

I am sorry but that is NOT science. Everyone he knows that he came in contact with (at home, etc) could have had it, and had no symptoms, and gave it to him, including you. Unless he lived in a bunker for a year and had no contact with ANYONE, until he came out of the bunker and went to Walmart, without any contact with anyone until he entered the store, then came back to his bunker and then had COVID....is the only way you can say that.

Funny thing; you don't know where I have been. I haven't been to the town he lives in for 15 years. In fact, the closest I have been to it is 100 miles away from it, in Las Vegas, where I used to live. They live in Kingman, AZ; I am currently in Sacramento. I haven't seen them since pre-COVID days, in 2017.

I already mentioned what happened; he went to various places, reported to them if anyone had contracted or had COVID prior to his visits there, which was negative. He showed symptoms after the Walmart visit, and stayed home, not going anywhere. Walmart was the only place he had been between those other places that reported negative contact with COVID, and his positive COVID diagnosis.

Again, that isn't saying that Walmart gave him COVID, as you want it to be to rationalize your post; Walmart was only the vessel where COVID was going around for him to catch it. That isn't hard to understand, but if you want it to be that hard, that's on you.

BL.

 

[ajfahey]

Stop shopping at Walmart.

 

[dannyyankou]

Strange considering other major retailers (like Target stores) support Apple Pay or any other contactless payments, while at the same time having their own payment methods and memberships.

Target puts more focus and investment on technology on the consumer side. They have a great mobile app, for example. They care more about the overall experience of the shopper.

Walmart on the other hand focuses more on logistics and keeping their prices low. And one of the ways they do that is cutting costs wherever they can, like mobile transaction fees.

They just both have difference approaches. And even though they're similar, I think the Target customers are a bit different. Target is trendier, Walmart is for everyday low prices for everyday needs. Both strategies work for who they market to.

 

[jicon]

True. HomeDespot DID support Apple Pay for about a week, depending on location I've been told. Their equipment CAN support it. They just refuse to re-enable it. It may not make sense to us, but apparently someone at HomeDespot thinks they are 'owning' Apple by refusing to support it (again).

It's less about honoring your customers and doing what's good for them over squeezing them for all you can get out of them, and inconveniencing them. I swore of HomeDespot for two whole months. You can do it, but I changed to Milwaukee power tools and had to get a new battery. *sigh*

This has nothing to do with targeting Apple.

The card readers have a cost to get ones that support contactless payment (NFC) via card or phone/watch.

If that tech is enabled, there’s a fee eaten by the business.

Home Depot wants to save money.

Walmart wants to save more by purchasing card readers that can’t do contactless payment. Cheaper device, and less fees.

Interestingly, the average card cost in Canada is 1.4% interchange fee of sale that the store pays to the bank/credit card company. It was 1.5%. Government mandate got it down 0.1%. That drop meant 250 million saved by businesses in Canada. Meanwhile, Europe has 0.3% legislated.

 

[max2]

Then why does Walmart offer curb side pickup?

 

[jimbobb24]

I wonder how many Apple users are actually willing to shop at Walmart. Maybe Walmart didn't see the benefit of supporting Apple Pay. 😁

The Venn diagram overlap between apple users and Walmart shoppers is probably a lot bigger than you think. I imagine the slice of people who apple stuff and feel they are “above” Walmart is probably tiny and 90% of them are posting right here.

 

[tridley68]

Walmart is a dump I would not even step inside to get out of the rain. 👎

 

[TheMacDaddy1]

no, complete difference. Walmart isn't the source of COVID, nor did he say or claim that Walmart GAVE HIM COVID. That is a direct claim there, as Walmart would be directly involved. Walmart was the place where he caught it, as someone else who had been there had it transmitting throughout the store. Walmart was indirectly involved in that, and not the reason he caught it. Someone else had it going around, and unfortunately, they went to that Walmart.



Funny thing; you don't know where I have been. I haven't been to the town he lives in for 15 years. In fact, the closest I have been to it is 100 miles away from it, in Las Vegas, where I used to live. They live in Kingman, AZ; I am currently in Sacramento. I haven't seen them since pre-COVID days, in 2017.

I already mentioned what happened; he went to various places, reported to them if anyone had contracted or had COVID prior to his visits there, which was negative. He showed symptoms after the Walmart visit, and stayed home, not going anywhere. Walmart was the only place he had been between those other places that reported negative contact with COVID, and his positive COVID diagnosis.

Again, that isn't saying that Walmart gave him COVID, as you want it to be to rationalize your post; Walmart was only the vessel where COVID was going around for him to catch it. That isn't hard to understand, but if you want it to be that hard, that's on you.

BL.

"he went to various places, reported to them if anyone had contracted or had COVID prior to his visits there"

Not saying that is good or bad but it simply is just not any kind of accuracy at all. You or your father n law have no idea how or where he got it from.

Basically, everyone I know has had COVID, family, friends', co-workers and myself. All of them for the most part vaxed and boosted. Most had zero to mild symptoms. Most had to tell no one they had it. I had to report it to my company, and I did, but they just said stay home for 10 days or whatever, and since we were already working from home, they never asked who I was around or anything. All of us had to go to places to buy food, gas, fly on planes, go through airports, ride on a bus to get to the rental car areas, etc. We walked past hundreds/thousands of people, most masked, but 99% of those flimsy masks did nothing or were wore wrong.

 

[Johnny907]

Lol “easy.”
Open phone
Open the app
Fumble with app to open QR code
Fumble with GD scanner to read code

Honestly it’s easier to just use your card. Kroger does this same BS with their stores too which is why I’ve been shopping more and more at Albertsons, but who knows if that will change after the merger.

 

[SKX999]

I doubt they've ever change but I really do resent Wal-Mart and my local grocery store for not taking Apple Pay. If it wasn't for that, I could leave my wallet at home.

 

[TheMountainLife]

This is where Samsung Pay/Wallet shined when I had it. Their phones and watch can emit the magnetic stripe of my card to the reader. The terminal doesn't know the difference. Worked everywhere I tried it except for gas pumps since the reader doesn't activate unless a card is in. Definitely got me out of a few situations where my wallet wasn't with me.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

Mostly. It's for people who only care about price, not quality or their own time.

That doesn’t make sense because the contactless NFC protocol isn’t limited to Apple Pay. Even if you just want to use Google/Samsung pay or a tap to pay credit cards (which most new credit cards have these days) you would also not be able to.

 

[black_knight]

Still find places making you enter your pin after using Apple Pay; kind of defeats the purpose. And I don't like touching keypads that other people used their booger pickers on. Looking at you Best Buy, of all places.

Circle K gas stations do something even more egregious. Their pumps are set up for contactless payment, however, you have to go inside the store to utilize Apple Pay. I don’t know why they disabled ApplePay at the pump and still accept regular credit cards that aren’t as secure as a biometric form of payment.

Someone at Circle K needs a class on secure payment systems.

 

[Johnny907]

I guess from a Canadian point of view, I don’t understand how a company could control the access to NFC terminal. From my experience, any terminal that supports NFC will work with Apple Pay. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a Walmart, but I am pretty sure it works there as well in Canada

Edit: people explained to me that all the NFC capabilities are disabled, not solely Apple Pay. Still find that very weird and I don’t see the gain companies have by doing so

Easy: Walmarts don’t have NFC terminals.

 

[black_knight]

I don’t like how these articles state companies don’t accept ‘Apple pay’. It’s contactless/touch to pay. Apple pay is a form of this. - take note Article author

Your point is valid, however, they’re not wrong.