After over a decade of holding out, Walmart has officially revealed its schedule for supporting contactless payments, including Apple Pay. A phased rollout begins August 24 and the company plans to enable Apple Pay and digital wallets in all U.S. stores before 2027.
State-by-state launch plan
The rollout kicks off in Arkansas between August 24–31. It then proceeds on September 10 in states along the West Coast and parts of the Pacific Northwest — California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Idaho, Alaska, and Hawaii. Four days later, on September 14, rollout expands to Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.
Texas is scheduled to get Apple Pay support starting September 17. One week after that, on September 21, states in the Mountain West and the northern plains — Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, South Dakota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming — will gain access.
The schedule continues on September 24 in the Midwest (Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa). By September 28 it moves down to Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. Early October sees rollout in Southern states — Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi on October 1, then Florida on October 5. Finally, on October 8 and 12, Walmart will bring Apple Pay support to the Southeast and Northeastern U.S., including states like North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia.
Missouri is notably missing from the memo Walmart distributed to store managers, and the company didn’t provide a timeline or explanation for that omission.
Which payment methods will work
Once contactless payments go live, Walmart stores will accept a variety of options. These include:
- Credit and debit cards with contactless chip technology
- Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay
- Smartwatches and wearables that support payment functionality
- Supported contactless EBT cards
Walmart’s long-awaited shift toward modern payment methods marks a major departure from its historical reluctance. Now that Apple Pay is finally arriving, shoppers who prefer this payment style will want to check the rollout date for their state.
What this means: For consumers, the expanded payment options bring more convenience and less friction at checkout, especially for Apple users. For Walmart, this signals openness to broader retail payment innovation and could pressure competitors still lagging.
Keep an eye on: Should there be changes to the schedule, especially for states like Missouri that aren’t included. Also, whether this rollout influences pickup, delivery, or Walmart’s digital services—and how smoothly hardware and staff adapt to contactless systems.
