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

[monstermash]

Home Depot is the only place I shop at regularly/sem-regularly that doesn't accept Apple Pay. Everywhere else, from Target, Best Buy, supermarkets, down to the mom-and-pop pet store and the tiny co-op market in our tiny mountain town takes Apple Pay.

Yep, Home Depot and Lowe's.

Everywhere else I go on a regular basis does. That includes all fast food places, pretty much all convenience stores, Costco, Aldi, Shop & Save and Ace Hardware.

Overall, the Apple Pay coverage seems pretty damned good.

I don't regularly shop at Walmart OR Target and don't care what they do....but their Apple Pay acceptance status doesn't drive that decision.

 

[monstermash]

“Fortunately”!!! This is not a freedom issue.

Sure it is. Virtually EVERYTHING is a freedom issue, and becoming more so by the day.

 

[BF1M]

Kroger doesn't either. I wish they would.

 

[lartola]

HEB in Texas doesn’t accept Apple Pay either. It sucks.

True. And they have stores in Mexico too and they don’t accept contactless at those stores either. We thought they would enable it because they installed new pinpads at all the Mexico stores in early 2021 that are compatible, ingenico lane 7000, the same ones used by Home Depot, but they kept the contactless disabled just like Home Depot did. Good thing that at least the HEB stores in Mexico have portable standalone card readers in addition to the wired pinpads; at least that leaves a way, albeit more complicated, of ever using contactless at their stores.

 

[Tagbert]

To be fair though most gas stations have an app you can use Apple Pay in, and it’s more convenient as you can just do the whole screen prompts for the pump, sitting in the car instead.

Hmmm, I’ve never seen that at a gas station. Maybe that is some of the bigger brands like Shell?

 

[Tagbert]

Sure it is. Virtually EVERYTHING is a freedom issue, and becoming more so by the day.

I’m not enthusiastic about granting corporations more freedoms than actual humans.

 

[monstermash]

I’m not enthusiastic about granting corporations more freedoms than actual humans.

Uh...it's not an either/or.

Companies have the freedom to choose their payment terminals.

People have the freedom to choose where to shop.

Freedom for all!

Every first world gripe under the sun doesn't require a "government solution".

 

[Nismo73]

I get tired of the card readers in my local grocery store that beep and announce my card has a bad chip forcing me to use the magnetic stripe. It’s just that the chip reader is getting worn out. If it were contactless like ApplePay they would be more reliable.

I just usually tap it with card now and it accepts it.

 

[monstermash]

I find this really bizarre. In the UK there is no retailer anymore that doesn’t accept contactless cards (and thus apple/android pay). The only exceptions are those businesses that don’t take cards AT ALL e.g. some local barbers or dry cleaners (usually because of tax avoidance - and frankly even those are very very rare these days). I have not had to carry a wallet with me for years. It’s shocking how backwards you guys are in the US when it comes to this.

Yeah. America sucks. Definitely recommend never coming here. Maybe Russia can do everyone a favour and invade us next.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I find this really bizarre. In the UK there is no retailer anymore that doesn’t accept contactless cards (and thus apple/android pay). The only exceptions are those businesses that don’t take cards AT ALL e.g. some local barbers or dry cleaners (usually because of tax avoidance - and frankly even those are very very rare these days). I have not had to carry a wallet with me for years. It’s shocking how backwards you guys are in the US when it comes to this.

Taking shots at America seems to pretty popular here today from our UK friends in this thread. I don't get the hate. Maybe it is jealousy.

Anyway like your compatriots here, your logic is flawed.

 

[monstermash]

I love Publix. The chicken tender subs they make are amazing.

Their prices are absolutely ridiculous.

 

[monstermash]

I demand the ability to go into a store and have them support the method of payment that I choose. I hate touching POS systems, and hate having to use their 'pens', and that strong dislike predated the pandemic. So aside from their agenda, I have zero need or desire to interact with anything at any Walmart store or related company. Tractor Supply also refuses to do NFC, and have also changed what they carry, so they are off my list too.

Apple Pay is easy, secure, almost effortless. It's the way things are going in the future, and people/corporations need to realize that.

I refuse to participate in a payment system (as much as I can) that allows the store to track me, to market to me, to encourage me to expose my life to them. Nope...

Well, aren't you just an entitled little camper?

 

[monstermash]

It would be useless. Walmart is almost a monopoly. It’s so large and faces so little competition that no matter how many customers they lose, they won’t care. The only thing that might make Walmart budge is if they were cornered by someone -most likely the card networks- between enabling NFC or going cash only. And even then, walmart might be crazy enough to prefer to go cash only.

They're "almost a monopoly" yet I rarely go there. Fascinating.

 

[Momof2.1107]

I use *gasp* Walmart Pay! I still traverse the world with just a phone and rarely run into any issues.

I do too especially for the 5% in cash back for the first year with my Capital One Walmart Credit Card.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

Taking shots at America seems to pretty popular here today from our UK friends in this thread. I don't get the hate. Maybe it is jealousy.

Anyway like your compatriots here, your logic is flawed.

How is it a cheap shot?
The guy who you quoted was making a comparison between the 2 countries, a comparison based on the observation that the article and thread topic is about.
In the U.K. we only really had 1 big hold out from a retailer not accepting Apple Pay, and that was Tesco and they have long dropped their stance and now offer Apple Pay, albeit they don’t regularly advertise it.
In comparison the USA has a number of big hold outs. Walmart probably has a similar market share in the USA as Tesco do in the U.K. It isn’t illogical to make a comparison between them and how one retailer relented on their hold out, and has nothing to do with USA itself.

 

[bradl]

Totally irrational IMO. It’s super annoying and stupid they don’t accept Apple Pay. But I can’t imagine anyone feeling so strongly about Apple Pay it would cause them to not shop there. Maybe I can imagine it but I would find it a bit extreme.

Not supporting Apple Pay is a very cosmetic and petty reason for a customer to not shop there. However, the issue that happened in Fremont, as well as other issues that I have seen firsthand have made me not want to shop there unless I absolutely have no choice. Prime examples: Richfield, Utah (my in-law's hometown), and Hugo, Oklahoma (where my grandmother lives). The only things keeping those two towns (population of 8000 and 5000 respectively) going is Walmart. They have run out any other competitor for goods or groceries (Safeway, Winn-Dixie, etc.), so they are the only place to go for anything. For that, I understand and will shop there. But anywhere else (read: mid-sized town to major city) is a hard pass. I can find better quality elsewhere with comparable or cheaper prices (WinCo undercuts Walmart for the same items).

BL.

 

[monstermash]

I am fascinated that people are so concerned that their purchases are tracked. If there is one thing on Earth I have no concern about is corporations knowing what I buy. I mean, who the hell cares?

I DO wish I could automatically get electronic line level records of my own purchases everywhere I go though. And actually readable too. I swear, I look at some receipts and stuff is so abbreviated that I have no way of telling from the receipt what an item is.

 

[tmiw]

Probably Swiping is done mostly only at places that take longer to upgrade restaurants, bars or hotels, and at gas stations (on the pumps they often still don’t even have chip).

I actually have the chip run on my card a lot of the time even at those. Granted, the server or whoever has to do it since wireless terminals still aren't common, but eh.

At this point it seems like a majority of US businesses do support NCF/contactless payments but some big players like Walmart and Kroger are holding out, probably to promote their own proprietary payment systems. Even small shops do NFC, but gas stations seem to be holdouts. That last is annying because gas stations are the most likely place to run into a card scanner that steals your card information.

I actually see NFC on gas pumps a fair bit now. It's mainly just the ones that swapped out their pumps early on that tend not to. (Gas stations are usually franchised so it depends on who owns the station more than the brand.)

 

[monstermash]

Not supporting Apple Pay is a very cosmetic and petty reason for a customer to not shop there. However, the issue that happened in Fremont, as well as other issues that I have seen firsthand have made me not want to shop there unless I absolutely have no choice. Prime examples: Richfield, Utah (my in-law's hometown), and Hugo, Oklahoma (where my grandmother lives). The only things keeping those two towns (population of 8000 and 5000 respectively) going is Walmart. They have run out any other competitor for goods or groceries (Safeway, Winn-Dixie, etc.), so they are the only place to go for anything. For that, I understand and will shop there. But anywhere else (read: mid-sized town to major city) is a hard pass. I can find better quality elsewhere with comparable or cheaper prices (WinCo undercuts Walmart for the same items).

BL.

All other issues aside, Walmart and Target are the two most inconvenient places for me to shop.

Besides being the furthest away (15-20 mins), they're in a horribly designed mega traffic area, so just dealing with the traffic is a real bitch. Then, once you manage to get there, you have to navigate their huge ass parking lots just to park and get into the store.

Once you've done all that, you have to deal with all the pleasures that come with shopping at Target or Walmart.

Overall, it's a hard pass. I go to the grocery store 2 minutes from my house. I don't care if their selection sucks or if their prices are higher, or even that they accept Apple Pay. The TIME SAVINGS ALONE makes it worth it.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I am fascinated that people are so concerned that their purchases a tracked. If there is one thing on Earth I have no concern about us corporations knowing what I buy? I mean, who the hell cares?

Same, but it goes along well with the people who think the government wants to get into their homes via their smart lock or Amazon is watching them with the camera or listening with Alexa.

People think they are a lot more important and interesting than they are.

 

[bbfc]

It's just crazy that a huge retailer like Walmart doesn't accept Apple Pay or contactless cards. In the UK pretty much EVERY retailer accepts both. Why is the US so far behind in these things?

 

[ProfessionalFan]

It's just crazy that a huge retailer like Walmart doesn't accept Apple Pay or contactless cards. In the UK pretty much EVERY retailer accepts both. Why is the US so far behind in these things?

Another shot from the UK here. For the 3rd time, it isn't the US doing this. It is Walmart choosing not to have Apple Pay. Why do you folks over there think the US government tells Walmart to not accept it? Does the government (once they decide on a 3rd leader in 2 months) tell everyone what they must do or not do over there? How odd.

 

[jgreg728]

Is it annoying? Yes. Is it another reason to shop at Target instead? You bet your ass.

 

[monstermash]

It's just crazy that a huge retailer like Walmart doesn't accept Apple Pay or contactless cards. In the UK pretty much EVERY retailer accepts both. Why is the US so far behind in these things?

Why? What is their incentive? It is not like the overwhelming vast percentage of people actually care how they pay, let alone are willing to stop shopping at Walmart because they don't accept NFC payments.

It isn't a matter of "being behind" it's a matter of "making a choice". Walmart simply chooses not to. So what? Their business, THEIR business. Shop there or not, they don't care. Plenty of other people will.

 

[monstermash]

Another shot from the UK here. For the 3rd time, it isn't the US doing this. It is Walmart choosing not to have Apple Pay. Why do you folks over there think the US government tells Walmart to not accept it? Does the government (once they decide on a 3rd leader in 2 months) tell everyone what they must do or not do over there? How odd.

That which is not banned must be mandatory!!