Guide to Walmart payment options

Walmart is a one-stop shop for almost anything you need. It has a large product selection, over 3,500 stores, convenient store hours — and, of course, its everyday low prices.

If you’re a frequent shopper at Walmart, it’s important to know all the payment options available to make the most of every purchase. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the various ways to pay, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our guide to shopping smart at Walmart and the best ways to pay.

What to know

To maximize rewards or cash back: When using a credit card at Walmart, use one that offers points or cash back on everyday purchases.
For budgeting or payment flexibility: Alternative payment methods allow you to budget for larger purchase amounts over time
To avoid overspending: Debit cards and gift cards help you stay on track

Best credit cards to use a Walmart

Credit cards are one of the most popular payment methods for both online and in-person shopping. They’re convenient, they’re secure, and depending on what card you have, they can offer additional perks like cash back or points. Walmart accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express

One important thing to know is that most Walmart purchases do not count as grocery or supermarket purchases — it appears as a retailer charge. That means many cards that offer specific points or cash back rewards for groceries are probably not the best option to use at Walmart.

When deciding which card to use at Walmart, you want to use one that offers points or cash back for everyday purchases.

Walmart co-branded credit cards

There are two Walmart-branded credit cards. The Walmart Store Card can only be used at Walmart, but the Walmart Credit Card can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted. These are great options to consider if you regularly shop at Walmart.

Both cards require you to have fair credit of 640 or higher, and there are no specific income requirements to apply. You can easily apply online or in store. Once you’re approved, you’ll receive your new card in 7-10 days.

‍Capital One Walmart Mastercard

FICO 640+
Annual fee: $0
Introductory offer: In the first year, earn 5% cash back on in-store purchases at Walmart using Walmart Pay, Walmart’s mobile payment wallet

Everyday Rewards:

Earn 5% cash back on all online purchases at Walmart.com
Earn 2% cash back on in-person purchases at Walmart stores and fuel stations
Earn 2% cash back on restaurants and travel
Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases

Walmart Store Card

FICO 640+
Annual fee: $0
Introductory offer: In the first year, earn 5% cash back on both online and in-store purchases at Walmart using Walmart Pay, Walmart’s mobile payment wallet

Rewards:

Earn up to 5% cash back on all online purchases at Walmart.com and the Walmart app
Earn 2% cash back on in-person purchases at Walmart stores and fuel stations

Cash back credit cards

If you don’t want to use a branded credit card to pay for your Walmart purchase, your next best bet is to use a cash back credit card.

Chase Freedom Flex

FICO: 670 - 850
Annual fee: $0
Introductory offer: Earn $200 after you spend $500 on purchases in the first three months

Rewards:

Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories (which often includes Walmart) each quarter
Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase
Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and restaurants
Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases

‍Citi Double Cash Card

FICO: 670 - 850
Annual fee: $0
Introductory offer: None available

Earn 2% cash back on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back, plus an additional 1% cash back as you pay for those purchases

Other ways to pay at Walmart

Maybe you want to spread your Walmart purchase out over time, or want more flexibility over how you pay. There are other (and sometimes better) ways to pay at Walmart besides credit cards — depending on your financial situation, it may make more sense for you to skip the credit card at check out. Here are some other options.

Using Buy Now, Pay Later at Walmart

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) is a service that offers flexible payment terms, usually in installment loans over a fixed period. If you are planning on making a bigger purchase and want to budget for that purchase over time, it may make sense to use Buy Now, Pay Later.

What’s more, qualifying for a Buy Now, Pay Later plan could be easier than qualifying for a credit card, especially if you don’t have an established credit history.

Walmart allows shoppers to finance their online purchases via Affirm, a BNPL service. You can use Affirm on things like electronics, video games, home improvement, jewelry, and apparel. Keep in mind there are some things you can’t use this service on, like groceries, pet supplies, and drug store items.

How to apply for Affirm at Walmart

Affirm applies to eligible items between $144 and $2,000. If you’re shopping online, you can apply directly at checkout. If you’re planning on shopping in a store, you can apply for Affirm online before visiting. Once approved, you’ll be able to scan a barcode at the register (if you use self checkout, be sure to hit “pay with gift card” before you scan.)

To apply:

Enter how much you’re spending and select your payment plan of 3, 6 or 12 month installments
Complete your purchase
Make your monthly payments at affirm.com or on the Affirm app.

Affirm has an APR of 10 - 30%, depending on your credit. There’s no minimum credit score to apply, but will perform a soft credit check. The company will determine your eligibility based on how long you’ve been using Affirm, the purchase price and if you have any outstanding loans with Affirm.

Alternate payment options at Walmart

In addition to Affirm, there are third-party services that offer Buy Now, Pay Later via an app or browser extension. Here’s how to decide which one is right for you.

Afterpay

How it works: Your purchase is divided into four equal interest-free installments and each installment is due every two weeks, with the first payment due at checkout.

Fees: You may be charged a late fee of up to $8. All fees are capped at 25% of the purchase value.

How to qualify: There’s no minimum credit score to apply, but Afterpay will perform a soft credit check. The company will determine your eligibility based on how long you’ve been using Afterpay, the purchase price and if you have any outstanding loans with Afterpay.

Klarna

How it works: Klarna offers a few different payment options.

Pay in 4: Your purchase is divided into four equal interest-free installments and each installment is due every two weeks, with the first payment due at checkout.
Pay in 30: You pay nothing for 30 days, then pay the full purchase price
Financing: You can pay for a purchase with a loan of up to 36 months.

APR & fees: Interest rates for financing range from 0% to 24.99%. You may be charged a late fee of up to $7.

How to qualify: There’s no minimum credit score to apply, but Klarna will perform a soft credit check. The company will determine your eligibility based on how long you’ve been using Klarna, the purchase price and if you have any outstanding loans.

Zip

How it works: Your purchase is divided into four equal interest-free installments and each installment is due every two weeks, with the first payment due at checkout.

Fees: Zip charges a convenience fee of $1 for each payment. This means your purchase will cost an extra $4. Zip also charges late fees of $5, $7, or $10, depending on your state.

How to qualify: Zip uses your information at checkout and most likely reviews if there’s enough money available on your credit or debit card and purchase size. Zip doesn’t do a hard credit check, which makes it easier to get approved.

‍Using Paypal at Walmart

Walmart accepts Paypal for both online and in-store purchases, though you’ll need to get a PayPal Cash Card in order to shop IRL. The PayPal Cash Card is a debit card that allows you to access your PayPal balance to shop in store. You can add cash to your PayPal balance at some Walmart ATM locations for an extra $3.

If you want to shop online at Walmart using PayPal, you can do so directly by connecting your account at checkout.

‍Walmart MoneyCard

Unlike credit cards, most debit cards don’t offer shopping rewards. However, if you’re shopping at Walmart, you may want to consider the Walmart MoneyCard.

Similar to Walmart’s Store Credit Card, the retailer offers a prepaid debit card option, the Walmart MoneyCard. It doesn’t require a bank account or credit check and has no overdraft fees.

The big draw to the MoneyCard is that you can earn cashback rewards, up to $75 a year:

Earn 3% cashback at Walmart.com
Earn 2% cashback at Walmart gas stations
Earn 1% cashback on in-person purchases

Other benefits: Overdraft protection for up to $200, early direct deposit up to 2-4 days early, free online bill pay

Fees: You must pay at least $500 monthly to avoid the monthly reload fee of $3 - $5.95. There’s also a $2.50 ATM fee ‍

Using your gift cards at Walmart

If you’ve received a Walmart gift card, it’s easy to redeem. You can usually just swipe your gift card at checkout or apply it online at purchase. Walmart also has an option to save up to five gift cards to your account and use them later via Walmart Pay, the retailer’s payment app.

To use your card online, click the “gift card” option once you get to the payment method step of checkout. You can then enter the gift card number and the four-digit PIN code located on the back of the card.

Using your EBT at Walmart

Walmart allows you to use your EBT card at checkout online in most states, and in-person at any location. To pay with your EBT card, update your payment information online and save your information like you would with any other card.

Once you connect your EBT card, you can use EBT online with no-basket minimums (make sure to give the system at least a day to update). Once your information is updated, you can start adding items to your cart and see if they’re eligible for EBT. Once you reach checkout and select your payment method, you can enter the amount of EBT cash you’d like to use. If there’s any amount leftover you can use a debit card or credit card.

‍Which payment method should I use at Walmart?

If there’s a way to pay for something, it’s likely that Walmart accepts it. Which method you use depends largely on what you want to buy and your financial situation.

If you’re focused on maximizing your rewards and cash back on your Walmart purchases, consider a Walmart-branded credit card or cashback credit card.

If you want to budget for a larger item over time, consider using a Buy Now, Pay Later service like Affirm.

If you want to pay for items without worrying about owing money down the road, you may want to stick to cash, checks, gift cards, debit cards, or EBT.

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