A chill is passing through hell this week, as another Apple Pay holdout has joined Walmart in rolling out Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay methods. Massive arts and crafts pusher Hobby Lobby is slowly rolling out tap-to-pay at the checkout in its stores.
In addition to Apple Pay, tap-to-pay options include Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, plus many physical credit and debit cards are tap-to-pay capable.
Hobby Lobby has yet to make an official announcement about its financial change of heart, although several posts on X, Facebook, and Instagram have revealed the tap-to-pay rollout at the merchant. Dmiyah Johnson posted to Facebook that her local Hobby Lobby finally offers tap-to-pay at checkout. Instagram user Shanyn Nicole posted a reel showing that her local Hobby Lobby now supports the secure payment method as well.
AppleInsider reports that it reached out to several Hobby Lobby stores about tap-to-pay rollout and found out that the rollout is a gradual one, so it is not yet available at all locations, as support for Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay methods requires installing new payment terminals at the checkouts. The arts and crafts chain says it expects to have tap-to-pay in all of its stores before the end of the year.
Hobby Lobby joins another long-time Apple Pay holdout, Walmart, which recently announced it was rolling out acceptance of tap-to-pay in its store, Sam’s Club locations and gas pumps.
Both sellers had faced pressure from customers to begin accepting tap-to-pay, as it is more convenient, and is more secure than even Walmart’s QR code payment system that the department store giant has been trying to force on its customers for the last several years.
The U.S. Sun reports several Hobby Lobby customers had taken to social media to pressure the store to begin accepting Apple Pay and other tap-to-pay systems.
One disgruntled Hobby Lobby shopper took to X writing:
“@HobbyLobby get Apple Pay! It’s 2024 damn near 2025 get it together!
“Sincerely, I shopped for one hour, waited in a long line; walked out with nothing because you’re still in 1989.”
Another wrote:
“I had the most beautiful beads and chord at hobby lobby!” another posted on the social media platform.
“Get to the register and BOOM…..they don’t take Apple Pay!!!”
A third shopper added they had been forced to leave a “whole cart full of stuff,” due to forgetting their wallet and then finding out the store didn’t take Apple Pay!
While Hobby Lobby did not accept Apple Pay at their in-store checkouts, they did accept the payment method in their online store.
Fellow holdout Walmart on August 24 began a slow rollout of tap-to-pay.