Walmart, the world's largest retailer, will finally introduce tap to pay at its US stores and Sam's Club warehouses, letting shoppers pay using a smartphone or smartwatch instead of a physical card. The move brings Walmart in line with most other major retailers, many of which have offered contactless payment options for over a decade, and follows years of the chain resisting the technology.

The rollout begins at some Walmart and Sam's Club locations on 24 August, with all US stores and clubs expected to offer it by the end of 2026, and fuel stations following by mid-2027. Shoppers will also be able to add eligible Walmart, Sam's Club and OnePay cards to digital wallets. Contactless payment services such as Google Wallet and Apple Pay have existed since 2011 and 2014 respectively, meaning even relative latecomers like Home Depot, which adopted tap to pay in 2024, beat Walmart to it.