Can Walmart's Tap to Pay Push Strengthen Customer Engagement?

Walmart rolls out Tap to Pay across U.S. stores and clubs, adding checkout flexibility as digital sales and membership engagement grow.

Vrishali Bagree

2 min read

Walmart Inc. WMT is adding another layer of convenience to its U.S. shopping experience with the introduction of Tap to Pay at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations beginning Aug. 24. The contactless payment option is planned for all U.S. stores and clubs by the end of 2026, followed by fuel stations by mid-2027.

The rollout broadens payment flexibility as Walmart continues to focus on making shopping faster and more convenient across channels. Customers and members will be able to pay with eligible contactless cards, smartphones and smartwatches. Eligible Walmart, Sam’s Club and OnePay cards can also be added to digital wallets. Tap to Pay will complement existing options such as Walmart Pay and Sam’s Club Scan & Go.

The initiative also comes amid strong digital momentum across Walmart’s business. Global e-commerce sales increased 23% in the second quarter of fiscal 2027, including growth of 24% at Walmart U.S. and 26% at Sam’s Club U.S. Walmart+ fee revenues also grew at a double-digit pace, with record second-quarter net additions.

For Walmart, Tap to Pay adds another option at an important point in the shopping journey — checkout. While the feature is unlikely to be a meaningful growth driver by itself, expanding payment choice can reduce friction for shoppers who prefer contactless cards or digital wallets.

The rollout complements Walmart’s broader emphasis on convenience. Combined with its expanding digital, delivery and membership capabilities, greater checkout flexibility gives customers another way to shop and pay on their preferred terms, reinforcing the retailer’s increasingly connected in-store and digital experience.

What Do the Latest Metrics Say About Walmart?

Walmart, which competes with Costco Wholesale Corporation COST and Target Corporation TGT, has seen its shares gain 7.9% over the past year compared with the industry’s 6.2% growth. Shares of Costco have climbed 0.7%, while Target has surged 70.3% in the aforementioned period.

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From a valuation standpoint, Walmart's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio stands at 33.67, higher than the industry’s 30.88. The company is trading at a premium to Target (with a forward 12-month P/E ratio of 15.88) while trading at a discount to Costco (41.93).

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Walmart’s current fiscal-year sales and earnings per share implies year-over-year growth of 5.1% and 9.1%, respectively.

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Walmart currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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