Any time I go to Walmart, I always forget that the store doesn’t have Tap to Pay. That really shouldn’t be that big of a deal, except almost every business I frequent these days does support the feature. As such, muscle memory has me pulling out my iPhone at self-checkout, only to look like a moron trying to tap to pay a NFC-free card reader. Without fail, each time I reluctantly take out my credit card and physically scan or insert it in the POS, I wonder to myself why Walmart doesn’t have Tap to Pay. (I’ve even left my credit card stuck in the card reader, since I’m so used to not using it these days.)
As it happens, those days are (thankfully) numbered. On Friday, Walmart announced that Tap to Pay is coming to its stores, as well as Sam’s Club. In addition to using your credit or debit card to pay with whatever contactless method you prefer, Walmart says you’ll be able to add your Walmart, Sam’s Club, or OnePay cards to your digital wallet. While you can, of course, continue to pay for your items with cash, credit cards, or Walmart Pay, anyone who wants to use Tap to Pay should be able to do so without issue. It’s pretty big news, even if it means Walmart is simply catching up to virtually every other store—at least the ones I typically go to.
When is Tap to Pay coming to Walmart?
According to Walmart’s press release, Tap to Pay is rolling out Aug. 24 to select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations. Starting on Monday, your local store may let you pay with your smartphone, smartwatch, contactless credit card, or any other method that supports Tap to Pay. If not, Walmart says all U.S. stores will support it by the end of this year, while all gas stations will support it by mid-2027.
