Tapping your phone at the checkout counter—something that's long been standard practice at most chain retailers in the US—won't actually become a reality at Walmart until 2026. The nation's largest retailer announced it will begin rolling out tap to pay at select Walmart and Sam's Club locations starting August 24, letting customers pay with their phone or smartwatch. By the end of the year, the feature is expected to be available at every Walmart and Sam's Club store nationwide, while gas stations will have to wait until mid-2027 for full rollout.
Beyond tap to pay, customers will also be able to add eligible Walmart, Sam's Club, and OnePay cards to their phone or watch's digital wallet—no more need to carry a physical card around.
What's really striking here is the timing. Apple Pay launched all the way back in 2014, and Google Wallet's predecessor is even older—retailers like Subway, Macy's, and Walgreens have supported contactless transactions through the service since 2011, while contactless credit cards go back further still. Even Home Depot, a chain not exactly known for moving fast, officially embraced tap to pay in 2024—two years ahead of Walmart.
In other words, while most shoppers have long grown used to pulling out their phone instead of their wallet at checkout, Walmart's registers have remained stuck in insert-or-swipe mode for years. This catch-up effort is no small undertaking: a phased rollout starting August 24, full nationwide store coverage by year's end, and gas stations following by mid-2027—effectively cramming more than a decade of mobile payment progress into a year and a half.
For everyday shoppers at Walmart or Sam's Club, the real change will show up right at checkout—registers that once only recognized swiped or inserted cards will finally recognize a phone or a watch, too.
