Home Depot is arguably the most recognizable name in the home improvement market, carrying almost anything a homeowner, repair professional, or working contractor may need to accomplish their projects.Â
If you’re a Home Depot customer and own an iPhone, you must wonder whether Home Depot takes Apple Pay as a payment method. As you may know, it’s quicker, safer, and more convenient when you use Apple Pay for your purchases.
Here’s what you need to know about whether Home Depot accepts Apple Pay or not.
Interested in learning more about Apple Pay? We’ve got a comprehensive guide explaining how Apple Pay works under the wood. You should check it out.
Does Home Depot Accept Apple Pay?
No, as of right now, Home does not accept Apple Pay in any of its retail locations in the United States.
At one time, Home Depot was among the stores that accept Apple Pay as a viable form of payment at their stores. But they stopped accepting Apple Pay, leaving many customers confused about why that was.
The reason for this is that Home Depot partnered with PayPal to allow customers to make purchases with their service.
While typically having more options is always better for the consumers, the reality is that PayPal and Apple Pay are competing digital wallet brands.
Both contactless payment systems are doing their part to reserve exclusive rights with businesses.
It is very likely, therefore, that when agreeing on a partnership with PayPal, one of the latter’s terms was that they are the only digital wallet option that Home Depot makes available.
That would explain Home Depot’s abrupt departure from accepting Apple Pay.
Will Home Depot Accept Apple Pay Again In the Future?
Just like Walmart and Lowe’s, Home Depot certainly has some business-sensible reasons for not currently taking Apple Pay as an acceptable payment method.
Home Depot may, at some point in the future, come back to accepting Apple Pay. However, as long as they have a contract with PayPal, that is highly unlikely.
The two came to terms on the agreement in 2012. Though it is unclear how long the partnership is intended to last until the contract lapses or is renewed.
What Payment Methods Does Home Depot Accept?
In most places, Home Depot’s number one accepted and preferred payment is cash. It’s mostly because there are no fees attached to cash-based transactions.
Home Depot will also accept personal checks as a form of payment. Though not many people use this method.
A significant part of the company’s sales occur online, and personal checks are not an option for online usage.Â
Slightly less preferable, due to the incurred fees for these transactions, is the method of using debit cards and credit cards for purchases. They accept all major credit cards, including:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Discover
- American Express
Home Depot has its own credit card as well, which affords certain benefits to those who sign up for it and use it, including special perks and deals.
The catch with this card is that you cannot use it for online purchases (accept on the app), but only in physical store locations.
Another option is the Home Depot gift cards. You can purchase these cards as gifts, but their balance only applies to purchases made at Home Depot.
In other words, you could not head to Target or Walmart and use this gift card.
Finally, there is the PayPal option. PayPal offers its own version of a debit card, called the PayPal Cash Credit Card. It essentially withdraws the amount from your PayPal balance as the card is linked to your account.
Certain Home Depot terminals will accept this card as a viable payment option at physical stores, while others do not currently have that capability. This method, however, is one of the preferred methods to use for online Home Depot purchases.
The Home Depot App
Like many modern businesses, Home Depot has its own app in the Apple Store and the Google Play Store.
It is a means of convenient product browsing, store information, and pricing guide. It is meant to be used for convenience rather than practicality.
While options to purchase products through the app are possible, there are some obvious limitations.
The use of cash and a personal check is obviously out of the question with the app. But you can use credit cards to make purchases through it.
The Home Depot card is also a viable method of purchase, as is the ability to apply gift cards to balances.
Depending on how much you spent, the gift card may cover the cost of the items. But the tax charges may put one over the gift card’s allotted balance.
This means that the rest of the payment must be subsidized by other means like a credit card or PayPal.
There is a PayPal button available on the app, which will allow you to either make entire purchases from it or supplement the gift card balance.
Options for other digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, will not be present due to reasons stated earlier.
Conclusion
Home Depot currently does not accept any digital wallet payments, including Apple Pay, except PayPal, a company they currently partner with.
Apple Pay was once available as an option but has not been one for some time. It is unknown whether the option will come back at some point in time.
With the rise of digital wallets, it would make sense that, with time, most stores will add this as a standard payment option at some point.
However, many businesses find the fees incurred detrimental to the option. It’s safe to say that allowing digital wallet (NFC) purchases enhance the quality and expediency of the consumer experience.
