Walmart Tap to Pay: How Contactless Payments Work at Walmart
Last updated: 2026-06-26
Two different things people mean by “Walmart tap to pay”
People search for “Walmart tap to pay app” for two very different reasons. Let’s clear both up.
1. Paying at Walmart with tap to pay (shoppers)
If you’re a customer, yes — Walmart accepts contactless tap payments at most checkout terminals. You can tap a contactless Visa, Mastercard or Amex card, or use Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. Walmart also has its own Walmart Pay, a QR-code feature inside the Walmart app — but that’s not the same as NFC “tap” payments.
2. Accepting tap to pay like Walmart (businesses)
If you run your own business and want to accept contactless payments the way big retailers do, there is no “Walmart tap to pay app” for merchants. What you need is a dedicated Tap to Pay app that turns your own phone into a card reader.
The good news: you don’t need Walmart-scale infrastructure. Apps like Square, Stripe, PayPal and SumUp let any small business accept the exact same contactless cards and wallets, with no hardware.
How Walmart accepts contactless payments
Walmart uses traditional point-of-sale terminals with contactless readers at checkout. As a shopper, you can:
- Tap a contactless card — Visa, Mastercard, Amex or Discover cards with the contactless symbol.
- Use a mobile wallet — Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
- Use Walmart Pay — Scan a QR code displayed at the register using the Walmart app.
These are consumer-facing payment methods. If you’re a business, you can’t use Walmart Pay or sign up for Walmart’s checkout system — you need a merchant payment app.
What small businesses actually need
If you want to accept tap payments like Walmart does, here’s what to do:
- Download a Tap to Pay app — Choose from providers like Square, Stripe, PayPal, SumUp or dozens of others. See our full directory for all options.
- Sign up and verify — Create a merchant account and complete identity verification (usually takes minutes to a day).
- Start accepting payments — Customers tap their contactless card or phone on the back of your phone, just like they’d tap at a Walmart checkout terminal — but without needing Walmart’s infrastructure.
See our how to accept tap to pay guide for step-by-step instructions.
Walmart Pay vs Tap to Pay: what’s the difference?
This trips people up, so let’s be clear:
| Walmart Pay | Tap to Pay apps | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | QR-code payment feature in the Walmart consumer app | Merchant apps that accept contactless card payments |
| Who it’s for | Walmart shoppers paying at Walmart stores | Businesses accepting payments from customers |
| How it works | Scan a QR code at the register | Customer taps card/phone on your phone |
| Can I use it for my business? | No — it’s Walmart-only | Yes — works anywhere |
Walmart Pay is not a merchant service. It’s a way for shoppers to pay at Walmart using a saved card. If you run your own business, you need a proper Tap to Pay app.
Best Tap to Pay apps for small businesses
Here’s where to start if you want to accept contactless payments yourself:
- Square — Most popular in the US; free POS with invoicing, inventory and reporting.
- Stripe — Developer-friendly; great if you’re building a custom app or selling online too.
- SumUp — Simple and affordable; strong in Europe with no monthly fee.
- PayPal — Familiar brand; accepts PayPal alongside cards.
See our small business picks for full comparisons, or check out free apps and cheapest apps if cost is your main concern.
Can Walmart sellers use Tap to Pay?
If you sell products on Walmart Marketplace (Walmart’s third-party seller platform), you’re paid by Walmart via bank transfer or other settlement methods — you don’t use Tap to Pay for those transactions.
However, if you also sell in person (for example, at markets, pop-ups or a physical store), you can absolutely use a Tap to Pay app to accept payments from those customers. The two are unrelated: Walmart Marketplace handles your online Walmart sales, and your Tap to Pay app handles your in-person sales.
Where to start
Browse the full directory of Tap to Pay apps or jump to the best apps for small business to start accepting contactless payments yourself. And if you’re comparing platforms, see our iPhone and Android directories.