Walmart is moving to support tap-to-pay checkout in the U.S., ending a long holdout against mobile wallet payments. TechCrunch reports that Walmart said Friday it will accept Apple Pay and Google Pay at its stores, including Walmart and Sam’s Club. Axios also reports that Walmart announced Friday that some Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations will add tap-to-pay options beginning Monday. The first phase starts August 24 at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations, according to TechCrunch. Walmart expects the feature to reach all stores and clubs by the end of the year, then expand to all fuel stations by the middle of 2027, TechCrunch reports. The change matters because Walmart had been one of the most visible U.S. retail holdouts on Apple Pay and similar wallet-based payment systems. TechCrunch notes that the company previously emphasized its own payment options, including Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go, rather than adopting the tap-to-pay systems already available at many other retailers. TechCrunch also points to Walmart’s earlier involvement in CurrentC, a retailer-backed mobile payment effort that was shut down in 2016. That history makes the new rollout more than a checkout tweak: it marks a shift from trying to steer customers toward Walmart-controlled payment flows to allowing broader wallet choice at the register. Walmart is framing the move around customer choice. TechCrunch cites the company’s announcement saying tap-to-pay will sit alongside existing options such as cash, credit cards and Walmart Pay, and that giving customers and members more checkout choice is part of a broader effort to make managing and using money easier. For customers, the practical change is straightforward: at participating locations, phones and contactless cards should become more useful at checkout. For Walmart, the execution question is timing. The initial rollout is limited to select stores and clubs, with the full-store and fuel-station targets stretching into 2027, according to TechCrunch. Who benefits: Customers who prefer Apple Pay, Google Pay or other tap-to-pay methods get more checkout flexibility at participating Walmart and Sam’s Club locations. Apple and Google’s wallet ecosystems also gain acceptance at a major U.S. retailer, based on TechCrunch’s report. Who's exposed: Walmart Pay and Scan-and-Go are not going away in the provided reports, but they lose some exclusivity at checkout once tap-to-pay is available. The risk is mostly to Walmart’s ability to steer customers toward its own payment options.