Walmart finally getting long-awaited tech upgrade that shoppers have waited years for
It looks like Walmart is moving with the times, as the shopping giant has finally given itself a tech upgrade that customers have been waiting years for.
While some of you will still champion the idea that 'cash is king', how many of you have moved from having a physical wallet to relying solely on your smartphones instead?
Largely kicked off by the COVID-19 pandemic and our reluctance to touch things, there's been a massive boom in contactless payments.
The likes of Apple Pay and Google Pay are a part of our everyday lives for many, although we'll admit it's sometimes a little easy to get carried away as you tap your smartphone and feel like you're not spending actual money until you get that dreaded notification the next day.
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Not everyone has been as quick to adopt tap-to-pay, although Walmart is now relenting.
Joined by Sam's Club, the pair will finally offer Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other tap-to-pay methods at stores across the USA. This marks a major milestone after Walmart held out on adding tap-to-pay options for over a decade.
From August 24, both have been rolling out tap-to-pay methods, covering contactless cards, smartphones, and smartwatches.
Despite being long-awaited, shoppers are warned that tap-to-pay won't be immediately available at every location.
Walmart reiterates that it plans to reach all stores and clubs before the end of 2026, with all fuel stations being ticked off by mid-2027.
In its release, Walmart cheered the change and said that whether you're picking up groceries or buying a gift for that special someone, tap-to-pay "gives customers and members another familiar and convenient way to pay at checkout using contactless payment methods."
Better yet, you should be able to add your eligible Walmart, Sam's Club, and OnePay cards to your digital wallets.
Cash, credit card, and Walmart Pay through the store's official app will all still be accepted, but this is part of a pivot to a more modern way of paying.
As noted by Yahoo Finance, the number of US customers using mobile payments at registers has more than doubled between 2021 and 2025.
Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City suggests that around 70% of all mobile payments made at registers are said to be tap-to-pay.
Apple Pay is already accepted at over 85% of US retailers, although Walmart has tried to steer its customers toward Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go.
For those who are worried about getting their cards out in public, leaving them behind, or putting them in a potentially compromised terminal, contactless payment is often the preferred method.
Even though Walmart doesn't directly explain why it's moved from this model after so many years of customers asking, the company announcement concluded: "It all comes back to giving customers and members more choice and making everyday shopping a little easier — from how they manage their money to how they pay at checkout."