Walmart tap pay launches with Google Pay next week
Walmart tap pay with Google Pay is arriving at select U.S. Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations starting next week, with a full rollout planned by the end of 2026. Shoppers will be able to tap phones or devices for faster, more secure checkout, with fuel stations expected to follow by mid-2027.
Google announced the update on August 21, 2026, saying customers can tap to pay using Google Pay for a quicker and more secure buying experience. According to TechCrunch, Walmart will also accept Apple Pay, with Tap to Pay beginning August 24 at select locations.
Key Takeaways
- Tap to pay with Google Pay starts next week at select U.S. Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations.
- Walmart will also accept Apple Pay as part of the same Tap to Pay rollout beginning August 24.
- The feature is expected at all U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026, and at fuel stations by mid-2027.
- Customers can add a preferred card to Google Wallet and use Google Pay at checkout.
- Walmart framed the move as giving shoppers more payment choice alongside cash, cards, and Walmart Pay.
When does Walmart start accepting Google Pay?
Google said the change begins next week at select Walmart stores and Sam's Club locations in the U.S. TechCrunch reported the start date as August 24, 2026.
The company plans to expand Tap to Pay to all U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026. Fuel stations are scheduled for a later phase, with rollout expected by the middle of 2027.
Why does Walmart tap pay matter for shoppers?
For years, Walmart pushed its own tools, including Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go, instead of widely used wallet apps. TechCrunch noted that Apple Pay is already accepted at about 85% of retailers across the U.S., and that customers had long asked Walmart to support modern tap-and-pay options.
Google described the update as building on its ongoing partnership with Walmart. Shoppers who already keep cards in Google Wallet can now use that same checkout method at more Walmart and Sam's Club registers as the rollout spreads.
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Did Walmart resist Apple Pay and Google Pay before?
Yes. TechCrunch reported that Walmart long refused Apple Pay and Google Pay while promoting in-house solutions. In earlier years, the retailer joined other big chains behind CurrentC, an alternative mobile payment effort that failed and shut down in 2016.
Walmart is presenting the change as more choice at checkout. The company said Tap to Pay joins options already offered, like cash, credit card, or Walmart Pay, and that giving customers and members more choice is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier.
Google's guidance is straightforward: add a preferred card to Google Wallet and let Google Pay handle checkout so shoppers can get back to their day. As more stores, clubs, and later fuel stations come online, that option should become routine across Walmart's U.S. footprint.