Wondering if Walmart accepts Apple Pay?
When Apple Pay was released in October of 2014, Apple users were delighted to have a more convenient NFC payment method. Users were able to easily send money through messages and pay for in-app purchases with ease.
The digital wallet even expanded on to other stores like Nike, Best Buy, McDonald’s, and so on. If you’re reading this article, then you must be wondering if Walmart accepts this too? To be frank, no it doesn’t.
Walmart currently does not accept Apple Pay as a paying method for its products. Although Walmart hasn’t released an official statement regarding its decision, a common assumption is because the American retail company wants its customers to use Walmart Pay instead.
Let’s find out why!
- 1. Does Walmart Accept Apple Pay?
- 2. What Are NFC Payments?
- 3. Why Use NFC Technology?
- 4. The Benefits of Apple Pay.
- 5. Here Are The Stores You Can Use Apple Pay With.
Does Walmart Accept Apple Pay?
Unfortunately, Walmart refuses to accept payments and transactions made with Apple Pay. This is most likely because Walmart wants its customers to use Walmart Pay, the company’s own dedicated digital wallet.
Apple Pay has a lot of benefits, like the daily 2% cashback when you use Apple Card with Apple Pay. Walmart, on the other hand, offers a 5% rate of earning your spendings back for the first year you use Walmart Pay.
The potential for digital wallets might be a big and rewarding business sector in the future. Knowing this, Walmart is most likely monopolizing its stores with its own technology so they can establish a presence in the digital wallet industry.
No official comments regarding their decision to deny Apple Pay have been released from Walmart, and we don’t expect them to include Apple Pay as a viable payment method anytime soon.
What Are NFC Payments?
To understand why Apple Pay and Walmart Pay are great ways to pay for your expenses, let’s dive into the science behind it!
Swiping your card or paying via cash may not take a lot of time but, in a bustling line of customers, the seconds begin to add up. Using your debit or credit card will also require you to input your PIN every time, which is another process between the customer and the cashier.
NFC payments, on the other hand, are completely contactless and quick to do. This technology makes use of ‘near-field communication’ software that allows two devices to communicate with each other only if they’re within close proximity.
Swiping your iPhone closely to the NFC reader will activate your digital wallet and send your payment to whichever company you’re currently buying from. This gets encrypted and sent through a stream of processes and, in milliseconds, completes the transaction.
Why Use NFC Technology?
Apple Pay transactions require you to input your PIN, fingerprint, or Face ID before being permitted to use your digital wallet. NFC technology also requires both the payment device and the reader to be inches near each other for the payment to transfer. This ensures that you’ll never accidentally pay for the expenses of the customer in front of you.
Instead of having to carry multiple debit and credit cards, NFC payment methods allow you to link your Apple Pay to your credit/debit cards. This way, you’ll be able to conveniently pay for your expenses without having to carry all your cards in your wallet.
Furthermore, every time you pay using Apple Pay or another digital wallet, your credit/debit card number is encrypted. Anyone who’s had to change their credit card number after Target’s unfortunate hacker attack can easily appreciate this amazing technology.
With your credit/debit card number encrypted, your security against hackers and incidents like Target are increased substantially. Even if hackers manage to download a ton of credit card numbers, your number will be encrypted and nearly impossible to reverse-engineer.
The Benefits of Apple Pay.
When digital wallets started to boom, Apple made sure to ride the waves like all the other pioneers. After Apple Pay was introduced to Apple users, paying for in-app purchases and Apple products has never been easier.
Since Apple Pay is entirely developed by and under Apple, they made sure to spoil their users with various functionalities. A notable mention is being able to easily send money via Apple Pay to your friends through messages!
Commuting around buses and trains in big cities like Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, and many other capitals is also a breeze. Simply tap your phone on the receiving device to pay for your ticket, and you’re good to go!
Here Are The Stores You Can Use Apple Pay With.
If you feel bummed out about not being able to use Apple Pay with Walmart, you don’t have to feel so down. Apple Pay is supported by dozens of other companies. You can read and skim through their official list of supported brands so you can look for alternatives.
Of course, Apple can’t list down every single company that accepts and supports Apple Pay. You’ll have to look for signs that indicate that the company is Apple Pay-ready. You can check their support thread and look under ‘How do I let my customers know that they can pay with Apple Pay?’ to find out what to look for.
Use Apple Pay Through Third-Party Apps.
Apple and Walmart aren’t the only big companies in the digital wallet craze. There are a lot of companies out there that can function as a middle-man between Walmart and Apple Pay.
Using a third-party alternative to use Apple Pay might seem like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Although some people feel this way, it’s still important to know that you can do it if you want to.
Using a third-party app like Ibotta or Square Point of Sale is acceptable in Walmart. This means that all you have to do is wire your Apple Pay account to your third-party digital wallet, and then use that to pay for your expenses.
It’s a little bit convoluted, we know. But the steps required to do this vary between third party apps, so you’ll have to do a little bit of research by yourself.
Now that you’ve reached the end of this article, we hoped to have answered your question regarding whether or not ‘Walmart takes Apple Pay’. Hopefully, we’ve also provided you with an alternative way of using Apple Pay to pay at Walmart. If you have any questions regarding the article, feel free to leave a comment down below.
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