Walmart is finally bringing Apple Pay to its stores in the United States, ending years of resistance to Apple’s contactless payment system.
The retailer announced that Tap to Pay will begin rolling out at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations from Monday, August 24, allowing customers to pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, contactless cards, and other tap-to-pay options. Walmart says support will expand to all U.S. Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations by the end of 2026, with fuel stations following by mid-2027.
The move marks a major change for one of the largest remaining U.S. retailers yet to support Apple Pay. Until now, Walmart has pushed customers toward its own Walmart Pay system, which requires shoppers to scan a QR code at checkout using the Walmart app.
Walmart says the change is designed to give customers and Sam’s Club members more choice in how they pay, while existing options including Walmart Pay will remain available.
Once available, iPhone and Apple Watch users will be able to pay by holding their device near the payment terminal, using the card stored in the Wallet app. Physical contactless credit and debit cards will also be supported.
The decision follows similar moves from other major U.S. retailers that previously resisted Apple Pay, including The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kroger, and H-E-B, all of which have added tap-to-pay support in recent years.
For Apple users, the rollout is significant because Walmart has long been one of the most noticeable gaps in Apple Pay availability across the United States. Apple Pay has been available since 2014 and is now widely supported by retailers, restaurants, transit systems, apps, and websites, but Walmart continued to rely on its own payment platform in U.S. stores.
Walmart has supported Apple Pay in Canada since 2020, making the lack of U.S. support increasingly unusual given the retailer’s size and the growing popularity of digital wallets.
The rollout will begin gradually, so customers may not see Apple Pay available at every Walmart or Sam’s Club location immediately on August 24. However, Walmart’s plan to complete the rollout across U.S. stores and clubs by the end of the year means Apple Pay should become widely available at the retailer over the coming months.
For iPhone users who have waited years to use Apple Pay at Walmart, the change means checkout will soon be as simple as tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch at the terminal.