Will Walmart accept Apple Pay?

In 2024, does Walmart accept Apple Pay? Since its introduction in 2014, Apple Pay, the mobile payment system developed by Apple, has grown in popularity. Users can utilize their iPhone or Apple Watch to complete payments in stores, apps, and websites via Apple Pay. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the increasing prevalence of Apple Pay, Walmart, the preeminent corporation globally in terms of revenue, refrains from accepting Apple Pay in its physical locations.

A Way to Use Apple Pay at Walmart

Walmart doesn’t accept ApplePay directly, but there is a way for customers to use ApplePay when they shop at Walmart.

To do this, you need to add your Apple Card to the Walmart app. These are the steps:

• Get the Walmart app from the Apple Store.
• Open the app and go to the “Account” section.
• Go to “Payment Methods” and add your Apple Card.

You can use Apple Pay at Walmart if you link your Apple Card to Walmart Pay. But this is still not as easy as using Apple Pay in stores directly. You can’t use your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay directly; you have to use the Walmart app instead.

Use of Apple Pay at Walmart and Its Advantages

There isn’t much use in utilizing Apple Pay as a workaround by linking your Apple Card to Walmart Pay since Walmart does not directly accept it. Using your Apple Card to make purchases still allows you to earn Apple Cash rewards and other benefits, but that’s about it.

Direct use of Apple Pay with Face ID or Touch ID authentication, however, removes the convenience and security advantages. Also, unlike Apple Pay, Walmart Pay may not offer the same security for your purchases.

The business strategy of Walmart, rather than the benefits to consumers, is at the heart of their decision to not accept ApplePay. By encouraging shoppers to use Walmart Pay rather than Apple Pay, Walmart can sidestep Apple’s transaction fees. Plus, the business probably wants complete access to the financial information of its customers

Could Apple Pay Be Accepted By Walmart Someday?

Whether or not Walmart plans to accept ApplePay in the future has never been explicitly stated. Instead, the emphasis is on getting people to download the Walmart Pay app. On the other hand, Walmart might opt to accept ApplePay in the future as mobile payments, and ApplePay in particular, become more popular.

As of right now, the only way for customers to pay using Apple Pay at Walmart is to use the Walmart app workaround. While some customers may find this frustrating, others may be open to using Walmart’s payment system. As time goes on and market conditions change, though, Walmart may decide to accept more types of payments.

Summary

As of 2024, Walmart does not directly accept Apple Pay, even though its adoption is accelerating. An imperfect workaround involving linking your Apple Card to Walmart Pay is your only choice. It appears that Walmart’s decision is motivated more by strategic business considerations than by customer convenience. It is also unclear whether, in the future, as part of a more comprehensive mobile payment offering, Walmart will start accepting ApplePay directly.