One of the biggest criticisms Walmart faces is that the store refuses to accept Apple Pay. With 640 million Apple Pay users around the world, it seems like a lot of potential customers are being left out in the cold.
But one TikToker, Nae (@naemillie._) says there is a way to pay for your Walmart order with your iPhone. No need to hand over physical cash or tap and swipe your card. All you need is an iOS or Android phone with a camera and you’re good to go.
She explains her technique in a viral TikTok that’s accrued over 750,000 views. While numerous people said her claim isn’t entirely accurate others thanked her.
How to pay with your phone
“Ok I see you Walmart!!! I might be late to the party but this is cool to me!!” the text overlay on Nae’s video reads.
She speaks off-camera as she records the screen on a self-checkout kiosk. Nae explains that she just learned how to pay for her Walmart items using her phone. While the store doesn’t outfit its POS systems with a quick-tap NFC module, the TikToker says there’s another way.
“I wanna show y’all something…when y’all come to Walmart and y’all put y’all stuff in,” she says, tapping on the screen. Nae then points to the Scan & Go QR code on the kiosk screen.
According to her, all you have to do is scan that transaction QR code with your phone’s camera. Then, she claims, shoppers will be prompted with payment options on their device.
“‘Cause Walmart don’t take Apple Pay,” she explains. “But if you got Apple Pay on your phone, you can actually pay it on your phone at Walmart.”
She says the shopper will receive a text with the receipt. “It’ll actually link to register too when you scan that barcode from your phone,” she shares. “It’s gonna link directly to this register. Dope.”
Viewers weigh in
One user on the app replied to Nae’s post, stating that they wish they were privy to this knowledge sooner. If they had, they may’ve had fewer pointless drives to the store. “Girrrlll the amount of times I’ve pulled up to Wally World and turned around just because I ain’t have my card,” they said.
Someone else said, “I’ve been using Walmart scan and go for over a year now.”
Another replied, “This is hands down one of the most helpful videos I’ve come across! Thank you!!!!”
One TikToker said that the Scan & Go feature also allows shoppers to pay in a variety of other different ways, too. “It’s not just Apple pay, if your card is linked to your Walmart app, it will also do it,” they said.
Does it work?
Nae explains in her clip, however, that this technically isn’t as simple as directly using Apple Pay. Another user touched on this in the comments section, saying the payments are handled through the Walmart app. Shoppers can save their card information on their phone’s Wally Word mobile application. Then, this information is used to process the transaction through one’s phone.
“I don’t think is apple pay, you have to save your card on the walmart app and pay from there,” they wrote.
The TikToker continued, “Also if you have Walmart+ you can scan the items as u buy then go to a register scan the code and pay.”
Nae elaborated in the comments that shoppers, indeed, will need to download the Walmart app first.
Others didn’t seem to care about the technicalities surrounding payment. They just enjoyed the fact that they could use their phone, even if it involved scanning a code, to pay.
“I haven’t been to Walmart in over a year because they didn’t have Apple pay. I may come back now,” one commenter penned.
Other ways to pay
Redditor @bt1234yt posted to the r/Apple sub that they found a way to use Apple Pay at Walmart. Their method differed from Nae’s, however, because they used the cash-back application Ibotta.
“The cash back app ‘Ibotta” recently added a feature to allow you to pay for your order at a number of major retailers with their app and earn a percentage of your total as cashback,” they wrote. “How it works is that at check out, you open the app, enter your checkout total, pay with your credit or debit card, and then show the barcode on the screen to the cashier (it’s like buying a mobile gift card on the spot). Well, even more recently, they not only added Walmart as an option, but they also added the ability to use Apple Pay as a payment method.”
Deal News also printed a step-by-step guide that details the identical Apple Pay payment method Nae references in her clip. According to the outlet, folks just have to do the following:
- Install the Walmart Pay app
- Sign in or create an account
- Once in the Walmart Pay app go to the Account tab. Then hit Wallet, which will bring up saved payment methods.
- Add a new payment option, choose Credit/Debit card.
- Enter your details just as you would with Apple Pay and enjoy mobile payment at Walmart.
Why doesn’t Walmart take Apple Pay?
And if you’re wondering when/if Walmart will ever directly accept Apple Pay, it doesn’t really make sense for the brand to do so. Sure, throngs of customers will appreciate the ease of use. But as Digital Trends points out, the Arkansas-based mega-retailer seems dedicated to pushing its own mobile pay technology. Why would they allow Apple Pay to undercut their own internal solution? If you were Walmart, wouldn’t you want to directly process customer transactions and not have it go through a mediating entity?
The Daily Dot has reached out to Walmart and Apple via email, and Nae via TikTok comment.
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