Walmart and Sam's Club began accepting contactless payments on Monday at selected stores in the United States, marking a historic shift for the world's largest retail chain, which had refused to adopt this technology for over a decade.
Thus, the company announced it in its statement last Friday.
“We wanted our customers and partners to have options when it comes to payment, so they can choose the method that works best for them,” stated Walmart in its announcement.
What is contactless payment and how does it work at Walmart?
The new system, known as Tap to Pay, allows customers to complete their purchases by bringing their phone, smartwatch, or enabled card close to the payment terminal, without the need to open any apps or scan codes.
Accepted methods include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other compatible digital wallets, as well as credit and debit cards with NFC technology.
In addition, customers will be able to add their Walmart, Sam's Club, and OnePay cards to wallets such as Google Wallet or Apple Wallet for use in contactless payments.
The company did not disclose the list of stores or cities where the service will be available first, according to Axios citing a Walmart spokesperson.
A change that customers have been expecting for years
The decision ends a resistance that lasted over a decade.
Walmart was a co-founder in 2012 of the consortium Merchant Customer Exchange, responsible for the development of CurrentC, a proprietary system based on QR codes designed to compete with Apple Pay and avoid fees from card networks.
That system never gained traction among consumers and was deactivated in 2016.
After that failure, Walmart promoted its own system, Walmart Pay, which is also based on QR codes scanned from the mobile app.
This scheme generated frequent complaints among its buyers, as Apple Pay was already available at more than 85% of retailers in the United States, according to Apple data cited by CBS News.
When will it arrive in all stores?
The expansion plan includes two phases. The first anticipates that the service will be available in all Walmart and Sam's Club stores across the country by the end of 2026.
The second one extends the technology to the service stations of both chains by mid-2027.
The Tap to Pay does not replace existing payment methods, but rather complements them.
Customers will still be able to pay in cash, with a physical card, or using Walmart Pay.
At Sam's Club, the Scan & Go system —which allows customers to scan products while shopping and pay through the app without going through the checkout— will also remain available.
“Everything boils down to providing customers and partners with more options and making everyday shopping a little easier, from how they manage their money to how they pay at the checkout,” the company stated.
Walmart, at a time of change
The introduction of contactless payment comes at a time of significant changes for the chain.
Walmart recently announced that it would use part of the tariff refunds received to lower prices in its stores.
This is complemented by the fact that it has started making drone deliveries in Florida as part of its commitment to modernize the shopping experience.
With the adoption of Tap to Pay, Walmart closes a technological gap that had negatively distinguished it from the rest of American retail and that its own customers had pointed out as a deficiency for years.
Related videos:
Filed under: