Walmart will finally accept tap to pay in stores by the end of 2026

KDavid Montero/Unsplash You'll soon be able to leave your wallet at home and pay with your phone or smartwatch at Walmart and Sam's Club. The chains are finally getting with the times by adding a tap to pay option in their stores.

Some Walmart and Sam's Club locations will offer tap to pay starting August 24, which is this coming Monday. It should be available at all US stores and clubs by the end of the year. The rollout is expected to be complete at fuel stations by the middle of next year. You'll also be able to add eligible Walmart, Sam's Club and OnePay cards to digital wallets.

It's wild that it's taken so long for Walmart to start embracing tap to pay. Apple Pay has been around since 2014. Google Wallet is even older — retailers such as Subway, Macy's and Walgreens started supporting contactless payments via that service in 2011. Contactless credit cards have existed for even longer. Even Home Depot, which only properly embraced tap to pay in 2024 , beat Walmart to the punch.