We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. Learn more.

  1. Shopping

It's 2026. Why Can't You Tap to Pay at Walmart?

By: Adam Hardy
Adam Hardy, expert in Personal finance, student loans, credit, job market, low-income finances, and Lead Data Reporter at Money
Adam Hardy
Lead Data Reporter | Joined October 2021
Adam Hardy is a lead data journalist at Money, where he frequently reports on financial barriers that affect low-income Americans. Adam’s work has also appeared in Business Insider, Forbes, Nasdaq, The Penny Hoarder, Yahoo! Finance and more than a dozen local and regional newspapers.
See full bio
Editor: Julia Glum
Julia Glum, expert in the IRS, taxes, credit scores, saving, colleges, mobile payment apps, and Managing Editor at Money
Julia Glum
Managing Editor | Joined February 2018
Julia Glum joined Money in 2018 and specializes in covering financial trends that affect everyday Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money.
See full bio
Published: Jun 8, 2026 12:01 p.m. EDT 3 min read
Walmart storefront
Getty Images

In 2026, nearly all major stores offer tap-to-pay options. Even vendors at farmers markets often allow shoppers to buy things with a contactless wave of their mobile phone.

There is one very notable exception to this trend: Walmart. The largest retailer in the country aside from Amazon still does not accept payments like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay in U.S. stores, despite years of demand from shoppers.

Must Read

The unshakeable policy decision from the retail giant has spurred a torrent of memes and complaints online.

“Walmart not taking Apple Pay just speaks volumes,” one user posted on X in January. “They are living in the early 2000s.”

“The amount of customers each day with full carts of groceries that end up walking out because we don’t have Apple Pay is really high,” another shopper posted on Reddit in April. “And half the stuff in the carts is cold stuff which gets thrown out.”

“Can’t they see that Gen Z don’t want to carry cards? Let alone cash,” the user added.

There is some truth to that. New research from the Federal Reserve Bank shows that shoppers under the age of 25 rarely use cash, building on prior findings that younger Americans strongly prefer to pay with their phones.

Why Walmart still doesn’t accept Apple Pay or Google Pay

Online, shoppers have speculated that Walmart simply doesn’t want to update the checkout stations at its over 4,600 U.S. locations to accommodate contactless payment options. (Walmart accepts Apple Pay and Google Pay in Canada.)

Discounts Galore with an AARP Membership

But experts say there’s likely another, more strategic reason: Walmart doesn’t want to cede control of U.S. shopper data to other payment providers.

Retail analysts told Business Insider that it makes more sense for Walmart to risk not offering Apple Pay or Google Pay so that it can steer customers toward its own payment methods — namely, the Walmart app and OnePay, the retailer's latest fintech endeavor.

Both apps act as digital wallets that allow for contactless payments at Walmart stores in the U.S. A Walmart spokesperson hinted toward this when the blog MacRumors asked about Apple Pay in 2025.

“We do not accept [tap to pay] and instead have implemented convenient solutions,” the spokesperson said. “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, providing a truly touchless shopping experience.”

Walmart declined to respond to several requests for comment from Money.

Must Read