Sam’s Club Apple Pay: Why It’s Not Accepted & Alternatives
Sam’s Club and Apple Pay: The Contactless Conundrum
If you’ve ever tried tapping your iPhone at a Sam’s Club checkout only to watch the terminal remain stubbornly silent, you’re not alone. Despite Apple Pay’s widespread adoption among U.S. retailers, Sam’s Club still won’t accept it in-store or at the pump. Instead, the wholesale giant leans on its Scan & Go feature for mobile payments.
Table of Contents
- The Current State of Apple Pay at Sam’s Club
- Why Sam’s Club Opted Out of Apple Pay
- Scan & Go: The Club’s In-House Mobile Wallet
- Member Voices and Online Buzz
- Where Sam’s Club Stands in the Retail Race
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Current State of Apple Pay at Sam’s Club
am’s Club does not accept Apple Pay at any of its warehouse checkout lines or gas stations. Rather than embracing NFC wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay, Sam’s Club is encouraging members to pay with physical credit/debit cards or its Scan & Go service.
Why Sam’s Club Opted Out of Apple Pay
Whereas other large big-box retailers hastened to sign on with Apple Pay, Walmart-owned Sam’s Club has been taking its time. Sam’s Club formally apologized to members in mid-2024 for payment-choice discomfort, tracing back to Walmart’s more extensive digital-payments initiative. Central to Walmart’s plans is data control: with processing payments in-house, they can keep precious shopper behavior information that third-party wallets such as Apple Pay wouldn’t.
Scan & Go: The Club’s In-House Mobile Wallet
Scan & Go launched by Sam’s Club to zip through checkout: scan products with the official app while shopping, pay in-app when done. The QR system bypasses checkout lanes at traditional lanes, enabling members to skip waiting — a no-brainer for members already at home in the Sam’s Club universe.
Member Voices and Online Buzz
On Reddit, users display both exasperation and pragmatism. In a joke by one employee, Sam’s Club “is never gonna offer Tap to Pay,” because Scan & Go gives the chain complete control of payments. In the meantime, some customers have searched for clues in Apple Maps, discovering a handful of Sam’s Club pins bearing the “Apple Pay” designation — only to find dead ends at the entrance. Long-time members recommend solutions for circumventing the glitch, including storing their Sam’s Club membership card in Apple Wallet solely for door access — although payments continue to be processed via Scan & Go.
Where Sam’s Club Stands in the Retail Race
Costco, Sam’s Club’s main competitor, accepts Apple Pay at checkout counters and gas pumps, which provides it with a convenience edge. Sam’s Club will experiment more with digital-only stores where Scan & Go is necessary — a definite sign they’re betting on their own app rather than third-party wallets.
| Retailer | Apple Pay Acceptance |
|---|---|
| Sam’s Club | No |
| Costco | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sam’s Club accept Apple Pay?
No, Apple Pay is still not accepted in Sam’s Club warehouses or at gas stations. Members will have to pay with Scan & Go, a physical card, or some other alternative form of payment instead.
Why does Sam’s Club not take Apple Pay?
Sam’s Club takes Walmart’s strategy of keeping the payment stream. Through using Scan & Go and internal tech, they maintain shopper data on their system and don’t forward it to third-party wallets.
How does Scan & Go work at Sam’s Club?
Scan & Go lets you scan the barcode on each item with the Sam’s Club app while you shop. When you’re done, you pay and check out in the app and then simply present your digital receipt at the gate.
Post created by Robert AI Team
