A frustrated Walmart shopper slammed the retailer's payment policies and demanded loose change after being stopped at the register.
Customers have repeatedly begged Walmart to accept Apple Pay or Google Pay in its stores, but the company has refused to comply with these requests.
One shopper expressed anger on social media that the chain's stores don't offer a tap-to-pay option.
“@Walmart should introduce Apple Pay, [something] Walmart Pay didn't work for over 15 minutes today. [at] “When I enter it into the register it says 'Oops, something went wrong,'” they wrote in X's post.
The customer explained that her sister had had to rescue her from this unfortunate incident.
“Good thing my sister left the card in my car,” she wrote.
And she's not the only disgruntled shopper.
Many others have taken to social media to question why Walmart has yet to introduce tap to pay in its stores.
“Walmart, you should invest in Apple Pay,” a shopper wrote to X.
“This caused me to leave a whole basket of groceries at the register. I'll never go there again,” said another customer.
“I'm in line and Walmart doesn't have a tap to pay,” another shopper complained.
“Google Pay [or] Apple Pay. It's 2024.
“I had to leave my cart and go to my cart to get my wallet,” they said.
Walmart's stance
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon previously explained why the company won't support Apple Pay.
He wants customers to use Walmart's own app to pay in stores.
“We want customers to have our app open all the time while in the store,” he said.
In an interview with Stratechery, McMillion praised the app, saying it helped him find products without having to wander aimlessly around the store.
“I use them myself and I know our stores better than anyone, and the other day I couldn't find a Command Hook, and when I used our app I was able to get to the Command Hook right away, which was very appreciated,” he said.
But nearly a decade after Apple Pay was launched, shoppers appear to be growing tired of the chain's reluctance to adopt the tap-to-pay system.
Walmart's Troubles
This isn't the only complaint shoppers have had about the retailer recently.
Many people have taken to social media to criticize Walmart's self-checkout systems for their alleged inefficiencies.
Why doesn't Walmart offer Apple Pay?
Speaking with Stratechery's Ben Thompson, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon explained why its stores won't offer Apple Pay.
While there are ongoing conversations about using Apple Pay in retail stores, McMillon stressed that “we want customers to always have our app open in our stores.”
Not only can the app help you find products in the store, but it can also be used to pay for your purchases.
“That's one of the things we want people to do with our app,” he said.
Self-checkout is supposed to cut checkout times and queues, but some shoppers complain it's having the opposite effect.
“Self-checkout should be eliminated,” one customer said.
“Nobody wants it, it's inhuman and it's not very fast.
“I work in a supermarket and I've never met anyone who likes that,” they added.
Walmart also implemented a 15-item or less policy at select self-checkout locations nationwide.
And the policy has further infuriated shoppers.
“Walmart, if you're going back to cashiering 15+ items in your stores, please hire more cashiers!” the shopper pleaded.
“I stood there for 45 minutes to buy 30 items. Trust me…I'll be shopping elsewhere!!!” declared another customer.