With over 4,700 Walmart retail locations across the United States, the mega-retailer processed nearly $386 billion in sales during 2021 alone. Needless to say, Walmart stores stay busy meeting consumer shopping needs locally and online. So paying efficiently is important for good experiences all around.
Venmo has emerged as a popular payment method offering a fast, easy way to pay right from your mobile device.
But is Venmo accepted at all Walmart stores? And how exactly does paying with it in-store work? This definitive guide has all the answers.
Growing Popularity of Mobile Payments
Advances in mobile technology and escalating consumer expectations for enhanced convenience continue ushering in innovations disrupting traditional retail.
Digital payments lead the charge, with services like Venmo experiencing tremendous adoption across increasingly tech-savvy generations. They appreciate the ability to transfer funds, split payments with friends, and tap to pay merchants right from their smartphones. According to 2022 research, over 30 million consumers use Venmo regularly instead of obsolete payment staples like cash or cards. It’s clear that services like Venmo deliver the speed and flexibility that today’s shoppers demand.
Understanding Venmo and Its Retail Applications
Venmo is a free digital wallet platform introduced in 2009 and acquired by PayPal in 2013. It quickly won over younger demographics by combining money transfers, social networking, and merchant payments all within a single mobile app. Users connect Venmo to their bank accounts or debit cards to deposit, send, spend, or withdraw funds person-to-person and with select merchants accepting it.
The app key advantage compared to rival offerings – is its newsfeed for commenting on and “liking” friend’s transaction updates in a casual social stream. This distinct social media style user experience keeps consumers highly engaged with Venmo embedded in daily habits.
Venmo’s growing brand visibility and loyal customer base attract major retailers looking to meet consumer demand for contactless payments. Venmo already integrates with over 2 million merchants online.
However, expanding acceptance to brick-and-mortar stores introduces new challenges as retailers must actively choose to adopt and implement the hands-free point-of-sale technology.
But once enabled, Venmo provides immense customer value from convenience to security to rewards integration. Early retail partners successfully pioneering Venmo acceptance in stores including CVS, Target, Lowe’s, and Footlocker.
Can you use Venmo at Walmart?
Never one to ignore shifting consumer behaviors, Walmart began piloting Venmo acceptance across select store locations in 2021 based on concentrated customer demand.
Unfortunately, widespread limitations prevent Walmart from rolling out personalized Venmo QR code payments universally across all stores – at least for now. Why? Implementing seamless mobile wallet acceptance requires installing advanced point-of-sale (POS) systems enabling each unique location to instantly generate a scannable QR code tied specifically to that store’s merchant account.
Upgrading legacy hardware is no small investment, with Walmart operating over 15 checkout lanes per store, each costing an average $6,700 to replace according to JRNI research.
That tallies up to staggering upgrade costs Walmart must gradually allocate budgets towards over phases. Couple that with disruptions across strained global supply chains and tech shortages, fully launching live payments technology takes careful coordination.
For these reasons, Venmo acceptance currently varies at Walmart stores based on location traits like geography, neighborhood tech fluency, sales volume, and pilot testing priorities.
Fortunately, that provides blueprints for Venmo to eventually permeate through the entirety of Walmart’s 4,600+ US stores.
But first, customers must verify if their local store is activated before visiting to avoid disappointment at checkout time.
How to use Venmo at Walmart
Because Venmo acceptance remains inconsistently enabled across Walmart locations, for now, don’t assume the ability to pay with Venmo on each store visit. Instead follow these quick proactive steps to check ahead each time:
1. Identify Your Closest Walmart Store
Use Walmart’s Store Finder tool by typing your ZIP code. Select your nearest store location.
2. Call Your Local Walmart Store
Call the store number provided from the Store Finder results page. When you reach a store associate, ask the following important question:
“Hello, I wanted to confirm – do you accept contactless payments through the Venmo app using QR code scans at your registers?”
3. Request Status Details
If the customer service agent confirms they indeed accept Venmo payments, terrific! If not, request additional details surrounding their activation timeline, or when corporate teams might enable the capability at that store location. This provides helpful clarity into what to expect on future store visits as Venmo and Walmart work to unify the integration.
4. Follow Up Before Returning
Make a note to call again to double-check before your next Walmart run. Because pilots and upgrades occur in gradual stages, confirmation calls ensure you avoid surprises upon arrival before assuming Venmo acceptance.
5. Paying In-Store Using Venmo QR Codes
Once you get confirmation that your go-to Walmart store location has Venmo properly activated, paying in-store using it at checkout is smooth sailing! Simply follow these five easy steps when it comes time to ring out your basket:
1. Inform the Cashier You’re Paying With Venmo
As you place your items on the register countertop, let the Walmart associate know you will complete the transaction payment using the Venmo app from your mobile device. This ensures they follow Venmo payment processing steps versus waiting for another form of tender.
2. Launch Your Venmo App
If the Venmo app isn’t already open on your iPhone or Android device, launch it now and log into your account. Ensure you are logged into the specific Venmo account holding the balance or linked payment source you wish to use for completing this Walmart purchase.
3. Scan The QR Code
Once all items are rung up with the total amount due displayed on the register screen, the cashier will present a unique QR code tied specifically to that Walmart location’s merchant account.
Open your Venmo app and tap the prominent “Scan” button visible on the main payments page. Aim your smartphone camera directly at the QR code. Successfully scanning automatically opens the payment window.
4. Review & Authorize Payment
With the QR code scanned, the Make Payment screen appears confirming your scanning worked properly. Carefully review the payment details including transaction amount and merchant name. Verify all appears accurate and relates directly to this Walmart purchase. If so, tap the green “Pay” button to securely transmit payment to the retailer.
5. Accept Receipt Options
Upon authorizing payment, your Venmo app immediately displays a digital transaction receipt. You’ll also receive a detailed confirmation email for your records. To complete the process, accept your traditional printed paper receipt from the Walmart cashier.
And that’s it! In just a few effortless taps, you’ve checked out using the convenience of your Venmo app rather than fumbling through a physical wallet.
Customers enabled to bypass legacy payment methods enjoy happier, more streamlined purchasing without obstacles like forgotten wallet items.
As more stores activate support, mobile-first customers find Walmart shopping more appealing knowing frictionless, fear-free checkout awaits.
Also read: How to Use Vanilla Gift Card on Venmo
What About Paying Online?
You may be wondering if you can pay with Venmo when ordering Walmart purchases online for delivery or in-store pickup.
Unfortunately, Venmo is not yet integrated into the Walmart website or mobile app for seamless online payments. However, Venmo does allow you to shop online via mobile web browsers accessed from within its app.
To explore that option for buying from Walmart.com using Venmo’s built-in shopping platform, first enable the mobile web payments feature.
You can dig into their separate guides for more details or consider alternative services compatible with Walmart’s e-commerce checkout process. Those include PayPal (Venmo’s parent company) along with Apple Pay, Affirm, and major debit/credit cards.
Tips For Smoother Venmo Transactions
Along your journey paying with Venmo during Walmart runs, keep these helpful pointers in mind to keep transactions smooth:
● Phone Update Reminders: Maintain the latest Venmo app updates for assurance all features function properly, especially the QR scanner used in stores. Updates safeguard stability while infusing new capabilities over time.
● WiFi / Cell Signal Checks: Weak internet signals disrupt apps, impacting scan ability and payment processing. Manually relocate closer to front checkout registers where external wireless signal boosters concentrate reception strength for uninterrupted connections.
● Splitting Large Transactions: Walmart purchase amount limits protect customers from overspending funds available in Venmo accounts (and merchants from non-sufficient declined charges). For massive shopping hauls exceeding set per-transaction maximums, simply conduct multiple Venmo payments back-to-back until the full total is fulfilled.
● Enable Biometrics: Logging into Venmo each checkout slows things down. Enable Touch ID fingerprint scans (iPhones) or Face Unlock (Android) so quick biometric security measures authenticate payments faster than PIN codes.
As Walmart and Venmo’s retail collaboration matures over phases, customers benefit from increasing store locations accepting app payments with little effort required.
That’s all, thanks for reading 🙂
