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A SHOPPER has been left furious after Walmart denied their payment method during a recent visit.
Grievances over the transaction restriction have been going on for some time, and employees are fed up with the complaints.
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It’s become fairly common knowledge among frequent Walmart shoppers that the retail giant doesn’t accept Apple Pay.
As of 2024, over 90% of retailers in the United States do accept it, per data collected by Capital One Shopping.
With most customers being able to use it elsewhere, Walmart’s decision not to allow it has become a serious point of contention, leading some to abandon their carts and walk away in frustration.
“Left my groceries behind at Walmart today,” a shopper, Kenny, wrote in a post to X earlier this month.
“They wouldn’t accept my form of payment (Apple Pay).”
Kenny was seemingly unaware of Walmart’s policy beforehand.
“Oh well, @Walmart @WalmartWorld, your loss! Very foolish to exclude this form of payment, I believe,” he added.
So, why doesn’t Walmart allow Apple Pay?
STIFF COMPETITON
Apple Pay is in direct competition with Walmart Pay, a method that the retailer wants customers to use.
Walmart Pay is similarly a digital wallet included in the Walmart mobile application that allows customers to store debit, credit, and gift cards to pay seamlessly at checkouts.
It’s only available for in-store Walmart purchases, as well.
“We don’t take Apple Pay because we have Walmart Pay!!!” exclaimed an irritated Walmart staffer in a recent Reddit thread.
“I know Apple is more popular, but we want you to use our Walmart app. It’s not show friends, it’s show business.”
This was emphasized by Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who noted that the retailer “would like to have the customers open our app in the store all the time” in response to the Apple Pay question while speaking to Stratechery’s Ben Thompson.
Why doesn’t Walmart offer Apple Pay?
CEO of Walmart Doug McMillon has revealed why stores don’t offer Apple Pay on Stratechery with Ben Thompson.
Though using Apple Pay at the retailer has been an ongoing conversation, McMillon emphasized that “We would like to have the customers open our app in the store all the time.”
The app can be used to help find items in the store, but it can also be used to pay for your purchases.
“That’s one of the things that we would like people to use our app for,” he said.
CHANGES UNLIKELY
Others agreed that Apple Pay will likely not be allowed at the retailer anytime soon, given the Walmart Pay feature.
“I don’t think Walmart will ever have Apple Pay. They want the customers using Walmart Pay,” someone noted in the thread.
Another customer said that Walmart Pay also assists the brand in tracking “shopping habits to sell you more stuff.”
“Hit the nail on the head. They [Walmart] don’t want to miss out on harvesting precious customer data,” a shopper echoed.
Others argued that issues could be avoided altogether by using either cash or physical credit and debit cards.
“The only people mad about this post are people who couldn’t be bothered to leave their house with a dang wallet,” a Redditor wrote.
“What’s so hard about using your credit card?” someone else questioned.
Still, the backlash over the lack of Apple Pay at Walmart rages on, with people leaving behind $200 worth of groceries.
Others have blasted the payment policy as “outdated” and that it causes more time for customers to get through the checkout area.
