Starting August 24, Walmart is expanding its payment options with tap to pay, after years of not allowing payment services like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Walmart quietly announced the news in a press release on Friday, going out of its way to not name services that the new tap to pay system will allow. We have confirmed that Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Wallet will all work with the new system. The company says the initiative will be complete in Walmart and Sam's Club stores by the end of 2026. Gas stations will get the service in 2027.

For years, Apple Pay and other competing services weren't allowed at Walmart, because the company had its own payment funnel it preferred. The company forced shoppers to scan Walmart Pay QR codes so it could better track consumer spending habits and schedules. That system, which will still be functional after the tap to pay roll-out, requires a customer add a payment card to Walmart's app, then scan a QR code at check-out.

Walmart has accepted Apple Pay in Canada stores for six years, very briefly allowing it before cutting off access and shifting to Walmart Pay exclusively. Most major retailers now accept Apple Pay, as even notable holdouts like Kroger and The Home Depot have begun accepting it in recent years. Walmart is one of the last big hold-outs.