Walmart Still Doesn't Accept Apple Pay in the U.S. in 2026, Here's Why

MacRumors • January 19, 2026 • business

Key Points:

Walmart continues to not accept contactless payment methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or NFC-enabled credit/debit cards at its over 4,500 U.S. stores, with no plans to change this policy soon.
The retailer favors its own payment systems, Walmart Pay and Scan & Go, which require customers to use the Walmart app and allow Walmart to track purchase history and customer habits.
Apple Pay's privacy features, such as hiding actual credit card numbers, likely contribute to Walmart's reluctance to adopt it, as it limits the retailer's ability to collect customer data.
Despite Apple Pay being accepted by over 90% of U.S. retailers and some major holdouts reversing course, Walmart remains