Over the past year, several major long-term holdouts have finally embraced Apple Pay. Currently, the biggest remaining holdout in the U.S. is Walmart, which has confirmed it has no intentions of changing its position.
Walmart’s position on Apple Pay remains unchanged
For years, Walmart has maintained that its proprietary payment methods are superior to Apple Pay. The company introduced “Walmart Pay” across the United States back in 2016, which allows customers to scan a QR code during checkout and finalize their payment via their mobile device. Additionally, Walmart offers a “Scan & Go” feature, enabling users to bypass checkout lines altogether, although there are limitations regarding its usage.
At one time, Walmart even attempted to support its stance by making the odd claim that Walmart Pay is more widely used than Apple Pay.
In a statement to MacRumors, a Walmart spokesperson expressed that their “convenient solutions” eliminate the necessity for supporting Apple Pay:
We do not accept NFC and instead have implemented convenient solutions, such as Walmart Pay, that provide our customers easy, touchless payments on any smartphone. We have also invested in innovative technologies that extend beyond payments, such as Scan & Go, which allows Sam’s Club and Walmart+ members to skip the checkout entirely, delivering a truly touchless shopping experience.
Many Walmart customers, however, likely disagree with this sentiment. A brief search on social media highlights the significant frustration expressed by Walmart shoppers regarding the absence of Apple Pay support.
So, what’s the underlying reason for Walmart’s refusal to adopt Apple Pay? I believe it primarily revolves around data collection. Apple Pay incorporates various privacy measures that prevent retailers from accessing detailed transaction histories, complicating efforts for merchants like Walmart to monitor shopping patterns. Such tracking is crucial for Walmart to develop customer profiles for targeted marketing and advertising.
While Walmart continues to overlook Apple Pay, other long-time holdouts have recently begun to adapt. Kroger introduced Apple Pay support in 2023, followed by grocery chain H-E-B and Home Depot.
Has Walmart’s absence of Apple Pay support influenced your shopping behavior? Do you think the company will eventually embrace the platform? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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