After years of resisting contactless payment systems, Walmart has finally decided to support Google Pay and Tap-to-Pay.
According to ITNA citing Android Authority, this change will allow users to make contactless payments in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores using their phone, smartwatch, or bank card.
Walmart was one of the few major U.S. retailers that, contrary to the prevailing trend in the retail industry, did not support services like Google Pay and Apple Pay and encouraged users to use its proprietary payment solution. For years, this policy meant customers accustomed to paying with their phone or smartwatch faced limitations when shopping at this store.
According to Walmart’s official announcement, Tap-to-Pay will be rolled out in the company’s stores starting next week. Initial support may be limited, but Walmart’s plan is to offer contactless payment across all its stores in the U.S. and at Sam’s Club locations by the end of the year.
Google has also confirmed the news and specifically stated that Google Pay will be among the supported payment methods. Therefore, Android device users will soon be able to tap their phone or smartwatch near the card reader to pay without needing to use Walmart’s proprietary method.
This decision can be seen as a significant shift in Walmart’s payment policy. The company had for years tried to push its proprietary payment system to customers, but the growing popularity of contactless payments and services like Google Pay and Apple Pay apparently led Walmart to change course.
Adopting Tap-to-Pay also shows that even very large companies cannot long move against established market habits. As mobile payments expand, users expect to be able to use their preferred service in various stores.
As a result, Walmart’s support for Google Pay could simplify the shopping experience for millions of customers and end one of the chain’s longest-standing resistances to contactless payment standards.