If you‘ve ever tried to use Apple Pay at the Walmart checkout only to have it declined, you‘re not alone. Unfortunately, Walmart does not accept Apple Pay as a payment method at any of their thousands of stores.
I know, it‘s disappointing news for iPhone users who rely on Apple Pay for easy, fast, and secure purchases with other major retailers. But don‘t worry, Walmart does offer their own mobile payment app called Walmart Pay to checkout with your iPhone.
In this guide, I‘ll explain exactly why Walmart doesn‘t take Apple Pay, how to pay with your iPhone using the Walmart app, plus some creative workarounds to maximize savings and rewards when shopping at Walmart without Apple Pay.
The Prevalence of Apple Pay
First, let‘s quickly talk about how popular Apple Pay has become. As of 2022, over 96% of Americans own a smartphone. And about 55% of U.S. smartphones are iPhones.
Apple Pay first launched in 2014 and is now accepted at over 2 million retail locations. Its adoption rate has steadily grown each year:
| Year | Apple Pay User Adoption Rate |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 24% |
| 2017 | 31% |
| 2018 | 46% |
| 2019 | 64% |
In 2022, an estimated 90 million Americans reported using Apple Pay regularly for in-store or in-app transactions.
Its seamless checkout experience is a major reason for Apple Pay‘s popularity. You simply hold your iPhone near a payment terminal and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID. No need to carry cards or even take out your phone!
But unfortunately, despite Apple Pay‘s prevalence amongst iPhone users, it is not an accepted payment method at America‘s largest retailer – Walmart.
Walmart Does Not Accept Apple Pay in Any Stores
You heard right, Walmart does not take Apple Pay as a payment option at any of their over 10,000 store locations in the United States.
This means you cannot use Apple Pay at Walmart registers, self-checkout kiosks, pharmacies, or in any other in-store transaction.
Instead, Walmart accepts the following payment types:
- Credit/Debit Cards: Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Discover
- Walmart Gift Cards
- Checks
- Cash
- PayPal
- Walmart Pay app – Walmart‘s own mobile payment solution for smartphones
I know this is frustrating if you‘re used to whipping out Apple Pay for purchases at Target, Walgreens, CVS, and other retailers. But Walmart has their reasons for not adopting Apple Pay (which we‘ll get into next).
Thankfully there ARE still ways to pay with your iPhone at Walmart using the Walmart Pay app. Let‘s look at how it works.
How to Pay at Walmart with Your iPhone
Despite not taking Apple Pay itself, Walmart does have a mobile payment app called Walmart Pay that allows you to checkout with an iPhone.
Here is a step-by-step guide to getting setup with Walmart Pay:
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Download the Walmart Pay app from the Apple App Store.
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Create an account or login if you already have a Walmart.com account.
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Add a payment method:
- Scan your credit/debit card or link a PayPal account
- Or manually enter your card details
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Shop Walmart as usual and proceed to checkout when ready.
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Open the Walmart Pay app on your iPhone.
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Scan the QR code displayed on the checkout terminal screen.
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Verify your payment details and authorize with Touch ID or Face ID.
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Your Walmart Pay purchase will be processed and receipt available in the app.
While not as seamless as Apple Pay, Walmart Pay provides a quick and easy way to pay with your iPhone at Walmart using QR codes.
It also has some benefits like digital receipts, savings offers, and Pay with Points rewards. However, the biggest downsides compared to Apple Pay is having to open the app and scan a code rather than a one tap solution.
Next, let‘s look at why Walmart doesn‘t accept Apple Pay in the first place.
Why Walmart Doesn‘t Accept Apple Pay
There are a few important reasons why Walmart does not accept Apple Pay as a payment method:
Exclusivity Agreement With MCX
Walmart had an exclusive agreement with a company called Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) and their payment app called CurrentC.
MCX and its CurrentC app are considered competitors to Apple Pay in the mobile payments field. Therefore, the exclusivity agreement meant Walmart cannot accept any competing payment methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Data Collection
One of the benefits of Apple Pay is that it does not save any of your personal or transaction data. Purchases are tokenized for extra security and privacy.
However, Walmart relies heavily on collecting shopper data and purchase history to deliver customized marketing and offers. Allowing Apple Pay would mean losing access to this valuable shopper data.
The Walmart Pay app gives Walmart full visibility into what customers are buying and allows targeting personalized promotions.
Cost
Apple charges card transaction fees when customers use Apple Pay. It‘s a small percentage, but can add up quickly for a high volume retailer like Walmart.
By using their own payment system, Walmart avoids paying these Apple Pay fees. Their focus is keeping costs low, so they steer clear of solutions like Apple Pay that charge per transaction.
Focus on Walmart Pay
According to Walmart themselves, they have no plans to start accepting Apple Pay. Their current focus is continuing to expand Walmart Pay nationwide.
Unless their exclusivity agreements change or shoppers demand it, Walmart will likely stick with their in-house payment app rather than adopt Apple Pay.
Where You CAN Use Apple Pay
Now onto some positive news! While Walmart itself does not accept Apple Pay, there are still thousands of retailers that do.
In fact, an estimated 85% of all US retailers now take Apple Pay as a payment method.
Here are just some of the major stores and apps that accept Apple Pay:
- Target
- CVS
- Best Buy
- Publix
- Costco
- The Home Depot
- Duane Reade
- 7-Eleven
- Panera Bread
- Staples
- Uber
- Lyft
- Airbnb
- Instacart
- Etsy
- Starbucks
- Apple
Apple Pay is also accepted on most major airline apps, public transit systems, and many stadiums/arenas for concessions.
In addition, you can use Apple Pay on iOS apps and websites that support it for in-app or online purchases.
Some popular examples include:
- Amazon
- Ebay
- Sephora
- Lululemon
- Nike
- H&M
- Urban Outfitters
- DoorDash
- GrubHub
- Uber Eats
- Airbnb
- Fandango
- StockX
- Goat
- StubHub
- Groupon
- SeatGeek
- Postmates
- Shopify
So while Apple Pay isn‘t an option at Walmart, you‘ll have no problem using it for purchases with thousands of other major retailers and apps!
Next, let‘s look at a clever workaround that allows you to use Apple Pay for Walmart purchases.
How to Use Apple Pay at Walmart with iBotta
While not directly accepted, there is a sneaky way to use Apple Pay when shopping at Walmart by using the money saving app called iBotta.
Here‘s a step-by-step guide to using Apple Pay with iBotta for Walmart purchases:
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Download the iBotta app on your iPhone.
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Browse or search for Walmart offers and select a product you want to purchase.
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At Walmart checkout, open iBotta and select Apple Pay as the payment method.
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The app will display a scannable QR code. Have the cashier scan it to process the transaction via Apple Pay.
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Get cashback deposited instantly into your iBotta account!
By opening the iBotta app and selecting Apple Pay at checkout, you can essentially use Apple Pay at Walmart. Just make sure the product has an eligible iBotta offer.
The cashback percentage can vary, but I‘ve earned up to 20% back on Walmart purchases this way. Pretty clever!
Use Affirm Financing for Walmart Online Orders
While in-store shoppers can use Walmart Pay, online Walmart shoppers have additional payment options like Affirm financing.
With Affirm, you can split your Walmart purchase into 3, 6, or 12 month payments. It allows you to buy now and pay over time rather than all upfront.
Affirm approves you instantly, right on Walmart‘s checkout page. And for qualifying purchase amounts, Affirm offers 0% APR promotional financing.
For example, if you buy a $300 television on Walmart.com and select Affirm at checkout, you could split the total into 12 monthly payments of $25. Affirm charges 0% interest in this case.
This gives Walmart online shoppers a more flexible payment option similar to layaway.
To use Affirm for a Walmart online order:
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Add item(s) to cart and proceed to checkout.
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When selecting a payment method, choose Affirm.
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Complete the quick Affirm application and select a repayment plan from 3-12 months.
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If approved, your Walmart order will be placed using Affirm financing.
While not as seamless as Apple Pay, using Affirm is a decent financing option for bigger online purchases from Walmart.
Download the Walmart App to Use Walmart Pay
If you want to start paying with your iPhone using Walmart Pay, you first need to download the Walmart app.
Here are step-by-step instructions to get the app and set up Walmart Pay:
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Open the Apple App Store on your iPhone.
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Search for "Walmart" and select the Walmart app.
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Tap "Get" to begin downloading the app.
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Once downloaded, open the Walmart app.
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Go to the Services menu and select Walmart Pay.
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Tap "Set up Walmart Pay".
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Follow the on-screen instructions to add your credit/debit card.
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You can now pay using the Walmart Pay app!
The entire setup process takes about 2-3 minutes. Then just add Walmart Pay to your Wallet for quick access at checkout.
The Many Benefits of Apple Pay
While Walmart itself doesn‘t accept Apple Pay, it‘s still the most convenient, private, and secure mobile payment method for iPhone users. Here are some of the great benefits it offers:
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Fast checkout – No need to swipe or insert a card. Just hold your phone near the payment terminal for a second.
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Enhanced security – Your actual credit or debit card number is never shared or stored. Apple Pay uses tokenized card information and authorization through Face ID or Touch ID.
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Privacy – Your Apple Pay purchases and transaction history are not stored or tracked. Walmart Pay does store and collect your data.
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Rewards – The Apple Card offers 3% daily cashback on all Apple Pay transactions. You also earn rewards through your linked credit card.
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Organization – All your receipts are stored automatically in the Wallet app for easy access.
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Acceptance – Apple Pay works at over 85% of US retailers and continues expanding.
For all these reasons, Apple Pay remains the top choice for iPhone users who value privacy and want the most convenient checkout experience.
Maximize Total Savings with Rewards Programs
Since you can‘t use Apple Pay itself at Walmart, there are other ways to maximize your total savings when shopping there:
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Apple Card – Get 3% cashback when using the Apple Card via Apple Pay anywhere else.
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iBotta – Earn cashback on select Walmart purchases paid through the iBotta app.
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Rakuten – Get 2-10% cash back shopping Walmart online through Rakuten.
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Target Circle – Link your Target debit/credit card to get 1% back at Target stores.
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Credit Card Welcome Bonuses – Sign up for a new card to earn bonuses like $200 back after spending $500 in 3 months.
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Credit Card Bonus Categories – Use a card that offers 5% or more back on groceries or wholesale clubs.
By stacking Walmart or Target store cards with cashback apps and bonus credit card categories, you can maximize savings on every purchase.
Final Thoughts on Walmart and Apple Pay
I hope this guide gave you a better understanding of why Walmart does not accept Apple Pay and the best payment alternatives available.
While Walmart has resisted adopting Apple Pay, they do offer their own Walmart Pay app to checkout with iPhone. And savvy shoppers can even use Apple Pay at Walmart indirectly through the iBotta app.
The good news is that Apple Pay is accepted at thousands of other major retailers and apps. And the Walmart Pay app provides an easy way to pay with iPhone at Walmart locations.
While not as fast or private as Apple Pay, combining Walmart Pay with cashback apps, credit card rewards, and loyalty programs allows you to maximize savings when shopping at Walmart.
I‘d recommend occasionally checking with your local Walmart to see if they‘ve updated Apple Pay policies. But for now, Walmart Pay and Affirm are your best options for iPhone payments at Walmart.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
