Walmart is the largest international retailer in the world, with Walmart Supercenters in the U.S, Canada, Germany, and China. It is also ranked as the largest corporation in the world. Formerly known as Wal-Mart, it changed its name to Walmart in 2018.
It seems that Walmart has everything; groceries, eyeglass stores, and an in-house McDonald’s restaurant. Walmarts also have automotive centers, gardening centers, and in-house pharmacies.
However, when you pull out your wallet to pay for your purchases, have you ever wondered if Walmart accepts Apple Pay? How about Google Pay or Samsung? Or Paypal?
Keep reading to find out if Walmart accepts Apple Pay or other contactless payment methods.
Does Walmart Accept Apple Pay?
The short answer to this question is no. Walmart doesn’t accept Apple Pay.
The company has four very good reasons for doing this: a lack of technology, the existence of their own Walmart digital wallet, a need to avoid fees, and the need to build customer loyalty by downloading the Walmart Pay App.
1. Walmart Does Not Support NFC Technology
Walmart simply does not have the technology to support Apple Pay. Apple Pay uses NFC (Near-Field-Communication) to apply connected funds to a purchase. The Walmart digital wallet employs QR technology at the cashier or self-checkout counter.
This is not an oversight or an inability to install the technology. It is not in the corporation’s best interests to install thousands of Walmart stores with NFC technology that competes with the company’s in-house digital wallet called Walmart Pay.
To use Walmart Pay, connect your debit/credit and credit cards to your wallet. When it is time to pay, open your Walmart app, and hold your phone over the QR code displayed on the cash register.
You will hear a chime, when the payment for your purchase is complete. Your paperless receipt is stored in the app.
The QR code scan enables the funds for payment to be transferred from your bank to Walmart and records the transaction on a digital receipt.
2. Walmart Pay is Walmart’s Digital Wallet
Walmart would rather clients download the brand’s digital wallet called the Walmart Pay app. Walmart’s perspective is that if any corporation charges customer processing fees for using a digital wallet, it will be Walmart, not Apple, Samsung, or any other type of mobile payment method.
The advantage of using Walmart Pay is that when you scan the QR code, it also scans for digital coupons and automatically provides the sought-after discount. This helps Walmart build customer loyalty.
3. Apple Pay Charges Processing Fees
Walmart does not support Apple Pay because they are obliged to pay various processing fees every time a customer uses it or a similar Pay card.
The fact that using Apple Pay eats into Walmart’s profits conflicts with their goal to make as much money as possible. Instead, Walmart offers its own digital wallet so that their customers still have a way of making contactless payments.
Walmart won’t process digital wallets from Samsung Pay, Google Pay, Sam’s Club, or Trader Joe’s.
4. Apple Pay Is Not In Line With Walmart’s Branding
Apple Pay and Walmart are competing corporations on a global scale, so branding is everything. It is to Walmart’s advantage to put its name on everything it can, including its QR-coded payment method known as Walmart Pay.
If you pay with other mobile wallets, like Apple Pay or Google Pay, then the customer is focused on those brands and not the branding of Walmart stores.
Can You Use Walmart Pay On An iPhone?
If you are an iPhone user, you might be under the impression that you can’t use Walmart Pay, only Apple Pay.
Walmart Pay is not blocked in any way by the presence of Apple Pay on your iOS device. The Walmart digital wallet can easily be downloaded onto your iPhone and any other iOS device or Android device.
You can download the Walmart App on Google Play or from the Apple App Store.
How to Set Up Walmart Pay on Any Phone
Here is how to set up Walmart Pay on any phone.
1. Download the Walmart App
Download the Walmart Pay Mobile App from Google Play or the Apple Store.
2. Create An Account
Create a password, read the terms and conditions, and create an account.
3. Verify Your Account
Wait two or three days for identity and bank account verification.
4. Add Cards To Your Digital Wallet
Once active, you can attach any type of debit card or credit card to your account as long as Walmart accepts the card issuer.
5. Go Shopping and Checkout With Walmart Pay
After shopping at a Walmart store or a gas station that accepts Walmart Pay, the cashier will ask you if you are paying with the app.
You will then be asked to tap Walmart Pay on your phone, and the cash register will generate the QR code that moves funds from your bank account to the checkout.
When the funds clear, the transaction is complete.
If you are finding it difficult to follow the written steps and prefer a video format, you can watch the below video.
What Forms of Payment Does Walmart Accept?
Walmart Pay is not the only form of payment that the retail giant accepts. Here is a breakdown of each payment method allowed by Walmart.
Credit Or Debit Cards
Walmart takes Credit or Debit cards. The preferred card is the Walmart Money Card, its branded store credit card.
Gift Cards or Prepaid Cards
Walmart prepaid cards or any other gift card can easily be used to pay for purchases at either the cashier check-out or the self-checkout.
WIC Payments
WIC federal payments (Women, Infants, and Children), often loaded onto a purchase card, are accepted at Walmart.
Paypal
Paypal is supported by Walmart online, and you can now also use your Walmart Pay App to connect your Paypal funds to Walmart checkout.
Walmart also accepts a Paypal credit/debit card for a $3.00 fee.
Walmart Accepts Checks
If you are old school and can’t take Apple Pay as an option, you can cash checks at the Walmart Customer Service Counter.
After you write the check, they run your data (bank account number, bank number, transit number) through a processor that verifies your identity and ability to pay.
Note that unlike Walmart credit cards or Walmart gift cards, purchases by check can take days to show up in your bank account.
Final Thoughts
Apple Pay is a convenient contactless payment that will work at most stores that accept NFC payments. However, you may still encounter situations where Apple Pay is not accepted at some stores.
If you want to use a digital wallet to pay for purchases at Walmart, online or off, then your best option is to download the Walmart Pay App.
