Walmart has announced it will finally accept Apple Pay and Google Pay across its stores, ending years of resistance to the widely used contactless payment technologies. The move marks a notable reversal for the retail giant, which had long promoted its own in-house options, such as Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go, and had previously even backed a rival mobile payment system in an attempt to sideline Apple Pay altogether.

Tap to Pay will begin rolling out at select Walmart and Sam's Club locations from 24 August, with full coverage across all stores and clubs expected by the end of the year, and fuel stations following by mid-2027. The change comes after sustained customer demand, given that Apple Pay is now accepted at roughly 85% of US retailers; Walmart's earlier joint effort to launch a competing system, CurrentC, folded in 2016.