4 Major Retailers Where You Still Can't Use Apple Pay

Despite Apple's claim that Apple Pay is available at over 85% of retailers across the United States, several of the country's biggest and most recognizable retailers still don't support it in one form or another. If you're someone who likes to rely solely on your Apple Wallet, there are some major places where you should expect to run into roadblocks.

Hobby Lobby is one; it may be a haven for crafters, decorators, and DIYers, but it's also one of the few large retail chains that only allows Apple Pay in limited scenarios. Across the nation, you cannot use Apple Pay in-store at Hobby Lobby. Its registers still require physical cards or cash, which means Apple Pay, Google Pay, or any other tap-to-pay solution is a no-go for in-person purchases.

That said, Apple Pay is acceptable for online purchases through its site. You can also use PayPal online, as well as traditional options like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and Hobby Lobby gift cards. For now, unless you're shopping online, Apple Pay users will need to carry a physical card into Hobby Lobby or choose another payment option.

Walmart is another retailer absent from the Apple Pay ecosystem. For them, the choice is a deliberate one. With over 4,600 U.S. locations, Walmart remains one of the largest national retailers to completely reject third-party digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The reasoning? Full control over the payment experience.

Instead of enabling Apple Pay, Walmart developed its own mobile checkout system called Walmart Pay, which is accessible through the Walmart app. Shoppers can link a wide variety of payment methods (including credit or debit cards, PayPal, EBT, and even HSA/FSA cards), then scan a QR code at checkout to use them. It's convoluted, but it keeps shoppers within Walmart's ecosystem, where the company can more closely track spending patterns.

Walmart has recently expanded its payment ecosystem further with OnePay, a new digital wallet tied to a Walmart-branded credit card powered by Synchrony. The OnePay app allows users to load up to 20 payment cards and also supports installment payment plans via Klarna. However, because OnePay is exclusive to Walmart, it still means zero Apple Pay integration.

Given that Sam's Club is owned by Walmart, it should come as no surprise that it too does not accept Apple Pay in its warehouses. Sure, Sam's Club accepts a wide array of other payment options (including major U.S. credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover), but it draws the line at using third-party digital wallets for in-person purchases.

This means if you try to roll your cart of bulk snacks, household goods, and impulse flat-screen TVs through checkout using just your iPhone, you're going to walk out empty-handed. Sam's Club would rather you use one of its own systems, including the Sam's Club Credit Card, Sam's Cash, or gift cards from Walmart or Sam's. The same goes for its website, which also forbids Apple Pay as a payment method. As with Walmart's in-store and online shopping experience, your best bet is to use a physical card (or know how to use Walmart Pay).

Amazon's relationship with Apple Pay is more complicated than a simple yes or no. You see, Amazon technically accepts Apple Pay, but only in certain cases. That's because it's not Amazon itself that enables the payment method, but rather individual third-party vendors selling through the Amazon platform. If a vendor has enabled Apple Pay, you'll see the option to check out using it.

For the majority of Amazon purchases, however, you won't see Apple Pay as an option. Still, all is not lost. There's a quick workaround for the Apple Pay shopper: You can add your Apple Card or Apple Cash card numbers to your Amazon account and use it as a payment method, just like any credit card.

So while you're technically not shut out, the experience is inconsistent (not to mention much less convenient than simply tapping your phone and moving on). Until Amazon standardizes Apple Pay integration across its massive network of sellers, your experience is going to vary tremendously.

If you're frustrated by all these Apple Pay barriers, there's still a silver lining: Your Apple Cash account comes with a virtual card number you can use anywhere Visa is accepted online. That includes Walmart, Sam's Club, Hobby Lobby, and Amazon. It's the same for Apple Card users. Remember: Apple Pay and Apple Wallet are not the same thing. Just because some stores don't accept the former doesn't mean you can't utilize the latter.

Just open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap on your Apple Card or Apple Cash card. Tap the three-dot menu, then choose Card Number. Then authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode to reveal your virtual card number, expiration date, and CVV. You can use this information to manually enter your Apple Cash card at any online checkout screen that accepts a traditional Visa card. So even if Apple Pay isn't available in the checkout flow, your Apple Wallet still gives you an option — at least when you're shopping from home.