Walmart continues to reject Apple Pay and all other contactless payment methods at its 4,500 U.S. stores in 2026. The retailer also blocks Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and tap-to-pay credit cards. This stance persists despite years of customer complaints and stands in stark contrast to the widespread adoption of Apple's payment system.

Walmart's refusal stems from its commitment to its own payment technologies, Walmart Pay and Scan & Go. These proprietary systems require customers to use the Walmart app, scan QR codes, and add payment cards. This setup grants Walmart valuable purchase history data, a key advantage lost with Apple Pay's privacy protections.

While major holdouts like The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Kroger have adopted Apple Pay, Walmart remains a notable outlier. The company has accepted Apple Pay in Canada since 2020, but shows no signs of extending the option to its American customers. The standoff highlights a growing divide between consumer convenience and corporate data collection strategies.