Guide to Walmart Pay

Technology has made shopping online or in-person easier and more rewarding than ever, and that’s true almost anywhere you shop. After all, you can use a rewards credit card to pay for purchases for the sake of convenience, yet you’ll also get cash back or rewards points for each dollar you spend. Plenty of credit cards also let you tap to pay, which means you can check out and pay in person without having to insert your card in a potentially germy payment terminal.

Digital wallets like Walmart Pay also let you cover purchases with the click of a button and without any touch. With a mobile wallet, you can even leave your credit cards and debit cards at home.

If you’re curious how Walmart Pay works and if you should use it, keep reading to learn more.

What is Walmart Pay?

Walmart Pay is a mobile wallet that is useful when you shop in Walmart stores. That makes it unique from other mobile wallets like Google Wallet or Apple Pay, both of which you can use at various retailers and stores. Simply put, you’ll only want to download Walmart Pay if you shop at Walmart.

When you download Walmart Pay to your mobile device, you’ll use it to store your credit card, debit card and even gift card information. This means you can shop at Walmart without having to bring your wallet to the store.

Once you’re there, you’ll use it as a touch-free means of payment in Walmart stores. All you have to do is scan your items at a check-out register, open Walmart Pay and then scan the QR code on the register. From there, your receipt will be saved for you on Walmart Pay, meaning you won’t have to pick up a paper receipt at the register.

Walmart Pay features

Because Walmart Pay is nothing more than a mobile wallet that stores your credit and debit card information, there aren’t many standout features to explore. One benefit is the fact that you can still use paper coupons if you use Walmart Pay to cover your bill. According to Walmart, all you have to do is bring your paper coupons to the store and hand them to your cashier as you normally would.

Note, however, that Walmart Pay is a component of the Walmart mobile app, and it’s available for Android and iOS. Walmart Pay is also entirely free to use. Although you cannot connect Walmart Pay with a checking account, you can use it for Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards — as well as Walmart Gift Cards, eGift cards and prepaid cards.

Walmart Pay vs. the Walmart app: What’s the difference?

It’s easy to confuse Walmart Pay with the Walmart mobile app, and that’s especially true since Walmart Pay is part of the Walmart app experience. The main difference is the fact that Walmart Pay is a mobile wallet that stores your forms of payment, whereas the Walmart app can actually be used to shop online.

If you want to shop for millions of items online through Walmart, the Walmart app allows you to do that using your mobile device. You can also utilize the Walmart app to set up grocery pickup or delivery, to get household supplies and staples or even to virtually “try on” glasses or clothing. From there, you’ll use the app to pay for your virtual purchases.

Meanwhile, Walmart Pay is useful when you want to use a mobile wallet to pay for Walmart purchases in brick-and-mortar stores.

How to set up Walmart Pay

Remember that Walmart Pay is free to use and that it works for Android and iOS. With that in mind, setting up this mobile wallet is a breeze, provided you have the right device and a form of payment that integrates seamlessly.

To get started with Walmart Pay, you will need to:

• Step 1: Download and open the Walmart app
• Step 2: Select “Services” and “Walmart Pay”
• Step 3: Follow the prompts to “Get Started”
• Step 4: Log into your Walmart.com account or create a new one
• Step 5: Add a payment method, whether you want to pay with a debit card, a gift card or a rewards credit card
• Step 6: Wait for your setup to be confirmed and select “Got It”

At this point, Walmart Pay is ready to use when you shop in Walmart brick-and-mortar stores. This means you can leave your wallet at home, yet you’ll be able to make safe and seamless payments no matter what you buy.

Walmart Pay security: Is it safe?

Like other mobile wallets, Walmart Pay is safe to use. For starters, Walmart states that they maintain “several layers of security” and that they constantly update their methods to check for potential improvements. The information Walmart Pay transmits is always encrypted over secure networks called “Secure Sockets Layer (SSL),” they explain. Furthermore, your actual credit card information never transfers to Walmart stores.

If you want to use Walmart Pay with yet another added layer of protection, you can also choose to add a credit card that comes with zero percent fraud liability to Walmart Pay instead of a debit card. Fortunately, most credit cards don’t leave you liable for a single cent in fraudulent purchases, and federal liability is limited to just $50 for credit cards anyway thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA).

Should I use Walmart Pay?

If you shop in Walmart stores often and you want to make touch-free payments when you do, then using Walmart Pay is a no-brainer. This component of the Walmart app is free to use, and you can store any credit card, debit card or Walmart gift card information you want. This means you’ll no longer have to bring your wallet when you shop in stores and that you will always have a digital copy of all your Walmart receipts.

Also, keep in mind that using Walmart Pay can help you earn more rewards your first year if you have the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®*. This cash back credit card doesn’t charge an annual fee, yet you’ll earn 5 percent cash back when you shop at Walmart.com. You’ll also earn 2 percent back on purchases made at Walmart stores, Walmart-branded gas stations, restaurants and travel and 1 percent back on any other purchases. For your first 12 months as a cardholder, you’ll also earn 5 percent back in Walmart brick-and-mortar stores when you use your card to pay through Walmart Pay.

Walmart Pay frequently asked questions (FAQ)

If you’re on the fence about using Walmart Pay, you should learn all you can about this mobile payment method. These frequently asked questions and answers can shed more light on how Walmart Pay works, as well as its limitations.

• Can I use gift cards with Walmart Pay?

  Yes, you can pay with gift cards using Walmart Pay. Simply save the gift card as a payment method in the mobile wallet, and your gift card balance will be the first payment method used unless you turn that function off. You can also use any major credit cards as well as debit cards.

• Can I use Walmart Pay at other superstores?

  You cannot use Walmart Pay at stores other than Walmart. In fact, you cannot even use Walmart Pay to cover purchases at Sam’s Club stores.

• Can I earn cash back with Walmart Pay?

  You can earn cash back when you use Walmart Pay provided you connect a rewards credit card to your account. After all, Walmart Pay is nothing more than a mobile wallet that stores your preferred forms of payment, meaning you still earn cash-back or rewards points on your purchases as you normally would.

The bottom line

If you’re a frequent Walmart shopper, Walmart Pay offers a secure and simple way to make in-store purchases without having to carry any cards or cash with you. Simply download the Walmart mobile app, open the Walmart Pay feature and add your desired credit cards, debit cards or gift cards. Then, head to the store, open the app on your mobile phone and use it to complete your purchases.

Even better, add a rewards card to Walmart Pay and earn rewards while you shop. Learn more about the best rewards cards here.

*All information about the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard® has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.