HEB does not take Apple Pay. You can’t use this digital wallet or any others at HEB stores, even though some locations have tap-to-pay terminals. You need to use a major debit or credit card or cash to make purchases here.
This post will explore if HEB takes Apple Pay. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about why HEB doesn’t accept Apple Pay and provide some other related information to help you have a smoother shopping experience here.
Let’s get after it.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- HEB does not accept Apple Pay or any other form of digital payment inside its stores.
- You need to use a credit card, debit card, or cash to pay for anything from HEB.
- HEB might start to accept Apple Pay and other digital wallets at some point, but there has yet to be an official word on if or when this might happen.
Does HEB Take Apple Pay?
HEB does not take Apple Pay. That might be a surprise if you are used to using Apple Pay at your favorite store. HEB is definitely a rare example of a larger store that doesn’t accept Apple Pay, but that’s just the way it is.
HEB doesn’t accept digital payments, and it’s not just Apple Pay. You can’t use other digital wallets like Google Pay or Samsung Pay here either. You’ll need to use another form of payment when you want to shop at HEB.
This applies to everything HEB sells, not just the grocery store. You can’t use Apple Pay at HEB gas stations or the pharmacy either. And self-checkout still requires you to use a credit or debit card or cash.
HEB has an app, but that’s not a workaround for using Apple Pay. You can order food and supplies ahead of time and get some deals and discounts with the app, but you need to use the store’s accepted payment methods for this to happen.
There is some public pressure to get HEB to accept Apple Pay and other digital payments. But the company has not announced any plans to change its policies. I wouldn’t expect this to happen any time soon.
Why Doesn’t HEB Take Apple Pay?
There isn’t an official reason from HEB as to why the store doesn’t accept Apple Pay. But some rumors are floating around that the company is trying to create its own digital and contactless payment method.
This would support the idea that HEB doesn’t want to compete with the larger digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. By not allowing these as payment methods in stores, the company keeps an exclusive opening for its own digital payment system.
Another reason could simply be that HEB doesn’t want to install the necessary readers and payment technology to allow for digital payments. There is some cost involved with that, and the executives might be trying to maximize profits.
This reason doesn’t seem as likely because HEB does allow for tap-to-pay cards. This is essentially the same technology involved with accepting digital wallets like Apple Pay, so it really wouldn’t take much effort or cost to also accept Apple Pay.
Regardless of the reason, there doesn’t seem to be much information on if or when HEB will start accepting Apple Pay or digital payments in general. But if there’s enough pressure from the public, the store might decide to accept it after all.
There have been some other larger stores and companies that didn’t take Apple Pay at first but now do. This might happen with HEB, but then again, it might not. HEB has held out for a while longer than those other brands, so it could stick to its guns here.
FAQs
Here are a few quick answers to some of the most commonly asked questions related to if HEB takes Apple Pay.
Does HEB accept tap-to-pay?
HEB does have contactless card readers that allow for tap-to-pay with a tap-enabled debit or credit card. But you can’t use digital wallets like Apple Pay with these readers because HEB does not currently accept digital payments.
Does HEB take Apple Pay for gas?
HEB does not take Apple Pay for gas. HEB does not accept Apple Pay at all, and this applies to everything the stores sell. You can use a credit or debit card to pay for gas, but you can’t use any digital payment. Cash will also work for gas at HEB gas stations.
Does HEB pharmacy take Apple Pay?
HEB pharmacy does not take Apple Pay or any other type of digital payment. This is because HEB doesn’t accept Apple Pay at all for anything it sells, including groceries, gas, or prescriptions. You need to use cash or a credit or debit card.
Does HEB self-checkout take Apple Pay?
HEB self-checkout does not take Apple Pay. Self-checkout will accept major credit and debit cards as well as cash, but you can’t use any form of digital payment here. HEB does not take digital payments at all, whether you are at self-checkout or regular checkout.
Does HEB take Google Pay?
HEB does not take Google Pay or any other type of digital wallet payment. It’s one of the only grocery stores that still don’t accept any digital payments. You must pay for anything here using cash, a major debit, or a credit card.
Final Thoughts
HEB does not accept Apple Pay at all. This applies to any purchases at the store, HEB gas stations, or pharmacies. You need to have a major credit or debit card or cash to make purchases here, regardless of what you want to buy.
It’s difficult to say if HEB will ever accept Apple Pay. I’d say it seems likely because other stores have changed their policies relating to digital payments. But HEB doesn’t provide an exact reason why it doesn’t take Apple Pay.
Why do you think HEB doesn’t accept Apple Pay? Let me know in the comments below.
