Walmart (WMT) started rolling out tap-to-pay technology across its US stores. This is a major shift in the retail giant’s checkout strategy after years of resisting mainstream contactless payment options.
(Source: X)
The rollout started at select Walmart and Sam’s Club locations on Aug. 24. The company is targeting all US stores and clubs by the end of 2026. Walmart also plans to introduce the technology at its fuel stations by mid-2027.
Customers will be able to pay using eligible contactless cards, smartphones and smartwatches, effectively opening Walmart checkouts to services including Apple Pay and Google Pay. That is important because Walmart spent years favoring its QR-based Walmart Pay system rather than adopting standard NFC payments used by many competing retailers.
The change also connects with Walmart's growing financial-services ambitions. Eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club and OnePay cards can be added to digital wallets, while OnePay separately expanded Apple Pay support across more of its card lineup. OnePay also offers rewards, debit, credit and buy-now-pay-later services tied closely to the Walmart ecosystem.
Walmart Stock Slips After Brief Rebound
The checkout upgrade arrives during a volatile stretch for Walmart stock. WMT shares closed Tuesday at $105.38, down 1.04% for the session, before edging slightly lower to around $105.31 in after-hours trading. The decline gave back part of Monday's 2.69% rebound, when Walmart stock closed at $106.49.
Walmart stock price (Source: Google Finance)
The bigger pressure remains Walmart's Aug. 20 earnings reaction. Shares plunged 9.15% that day despite the retailer reporting $187.9 billion in quarterly revenue and raising its full-year outlook. Investors instead focused on Walmart US comparable sales growth of 2.6%, below expectations, and third-quarter adjusted EPS guidance of $0.62 to $0.64, versus Wall Street expectations of roughly $0.68.
Still, Walmart's digital business is a bright spot. US e-commerce sales jumped 24% during the quarter, while Sam’s Club US e-commerce grew 26%.
Tap-to-pay is unlikely to change Walmart's earnings outlook by itself, but removing a longstanding checkout friction point fits directly into the retailer's push around convenience, digital commerce and financial services.
