Walmart to finally start accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay

All the while, Walmart customers have begged the company to support modern tap-and-pay technology, like Apple Pay, which is now accepted at 85% of retailers across the U.S., including most larger stores.

For Walmart, the decision reads as a defeat. As one of the world’s largest retailers, it believed it could push customers to its own payment solutions despite the growing adoption of Apple Pay and others of its kind. Ultimately, it had to admit that it was disadvantaging its own customers in the process.

The company is trying to spin the news as giving consumers more choice.

“Tap to Pay is a great addition to the other payment options already offered like cash, credit card or Walmart Pay…,” the company’s announcement stated. “And giving customers and members more choice at checkout is part of a broader effort to make managing and using their money easier.”