Can You Use Apple Pay At Aldi?
When it comes to digital wallets, Apple Pay dominates the landscape; however, even though over 90% of retailers in the U.S. accept Apple Pay (via Capital One Shopping), many folks still find themselves wondering if their regular haunts will allow payment with a simple phone tap. Fortunately, these people can add Aldi to their list of confirmed stores, as the budget supermarket giant states on its website's FAQ page that Apple Pay is among its officially accepted payment methods. This may not be a feature that's unique to Aldi, but it is a convenient benefit.
With more businesses accepting Apple Pay, this means more options are available to customers. It also means fewer employees will have to dread the ever-looming question, "Do you take Apple Pay?" Wendy's employees, for example, despised this question before the majority of restaurants began using the technology.
If you use a contactless payment method besides Apple Pay when picking up your weekly groceries — or if you just don't own an iPhone — there's no need to worry. Aldi's FAQ also states that the chain accepts "multiple forms of contactless payment," including Google Pay.
What other payment methods does Aldi accept?
Even if your Apple Pay doesn't work and you find yourself stuck at the cash register with a cartload of groceries, you still have options. According to Aldi's FAQ, it also accepts "cash, most debit cards, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), SNAP, [and] Link cards."
The only payments Aldi specifically states it does not accept are checks and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. According to Aldi, because the chain's Little Journey brand, which includes baby products, isn't name-branded, the grocery chain isn't included in WIC's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program. In fact, you're unlikely to find many name-brand items at Aldi since the chain mostly offers its numerous in-house brands.
As for checks, Aldi's limitations seem to reflect the waning use of the payment method nationwide. In 2023, GOBankingRates polled 1,000 Americans and found that 44.5% of those polled had not written a paper check in the previous year. Checks are generally considered slower and more susceptible to fraud than electronic payment methods, making them something of a liability from a business standpoint.