As smartphones have become an integral part of our daily lives, more and more people are embracing the convenience of mobile payment apps like Google Pay and Samsung Pay. These digital wallets allow you to store your credit card, debit card and other payment information securely on your mobile device, then use it to check out quickly and easily at participating retailers with a simple tap or scan. No more fumbling through your physical wallet or purse to find the right card.
In fact, according to a 2020 survey by the National Retail Federation, over two-thirds of U.S. retailers now accept some form of contactless payment, including 58% that take mobile wallet apps specifically. And it‘s easy to see why. For merchants, the benefits of accepting mobile payments include faster transaction times, shorter lines, enhanced security, and increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
"Contactless payment methods like mobile wallets have been steadily growing in popularity for years now, but we‘ve seen adoption skyrocket since the beginning of the pandemic as consumers prioritize touch-free shopping experiences," says retail technology expert Sarah Johnson. "Shoppers now expect to have a variety of convenient digital payment options wherever they go."
How Mobile Payment Apps Work
If you‘re not familiar with mobile wallets, here‘s a quick primer. Digital wallet apps like Google Pay and Samsung Pay (as well as Apple Pay for iPhone users) allow you to enter and save your preferred payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, loyalty cards and even gift cards. This sensitive information is encrypted and stored securely.
When it‘s time to pay at a store, you simply open the mobile wallet app on your phone, select which card you want to use, and hold the device close to the payment terminal. The app then transmits the payment info wirelessly using NFC (near field communication) or MST (magnetic secure transmission) technology. You‘ll usually be prompted to authenticate the transaction with a fingerprint scan, facial recognition or PIN code. And that‘s it – you‘ve paid without ever needing to touch a keypad or hand over a card.
Mobile wallets use a process called tokenization to protect your actual card numbers. Essentially, your real account info is replaced by a unique digital identifier or "token" that can only be used for that specific transaction. This makes mobile payments arguably more secure than swiping a physical card, which can be stolen, skimmed or copied.
The Rise of Contactless Payments
The first major mobile wallet app, Google Wallet (now known as Google Pay), launched back in 2011. But adoption was slow in the early years, as many shoppers were hesitant to trust the new technology and most stores lacked the necessary equipment to accept it. In 2015, only about 8% of U.S. retailers supported NFC payments, according to a report by Forrester Research.
However, the tide started to turn in 2018 when the major credit card networks (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover) began requiring stores to upgrade their payment terminals to accept EMV chip cards. Most merchants used this as an opportunity to enable NFC contactless payments as well.
Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, and suddenly contactless payments went from a nice-to-have feature to a public health necessity. With consumers wary of touching shared surfaces like PIN pads and cash, many turned to mobile wallets as a safer, touch-free way to pay. Visa reported a whopping 150% increase in contactless usage in the first few months of the pandemic alone.
Mobile payment adoption has steadily risen in the years since. As of 2022, over 75% of U.S. retailers accepted contactless payments, with the number projected to reach nearly 100% within the next two years, according to research by Euromonitor International. Globally, there were over 1 billion mobile wallet users in 2021, a figure expected to exceed 1.5 billion by 2025.
Which Mobile Wallets Are Most Popular?
While there are dozens of mobile payment apps now available, a few giants dominate the space. According to Pulse‘s 2022 Debit Issuer Study, the most popular mobile wallets among U.S. consumers are:
- Apple Pay (45% of mobile payment users)
- PayPal (25%)
- Google Pay (12%)
- Samsung Pay (5%)
- All others combined (12%)
Of course, mobile wallet preference varies widely by device and operating system. Apple Pay is exclusively available on iPhones, while Google Pay is the default on most Android phones. Samsung Pay comes preloaded on many Samsung Galaxy devices. PayPal stands out as a more device-agnostic option.
Does Lowe‘s Take Google Pay and Samsung Pay?
Now that we‘ve covered the basics of how mobile wallets work and why they‘re becoming so widely used, let‘s get to the question at hand: can you pay with Google Pay or Samsung Pay at Lowe‘s? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
As of 2023, Lowe‘s does not accept any mobile payment methods, including Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or even Apple Pay. The home improvement retailer has been conspicuously slow to adapt to this growing payment trend, even as many of its competitors have jumped on board.
The main reason Lowe‘s doesn‘t take contactless payments is that its in-store checkout systems aren‘t equipped with NFC technology. CEO Marvin Ellison acknowledged this shortcoming in a 2018 CNBC interview, saying "We don‘t have the flexibility in our [point-of-sale] system today to accept mobile pay and mobile checkout." He hinted that upgrading Lowe‘s payment tech was on the roadmap, but over 4 years later, mobile wallets are still a no-go.
Lowe‘s also doesn‘t accept PayPal for in-store purchases, though you can use it when shopping on Lowes.com. Klarna and Afterpay, two popular "buy now, pay later" services, are similarly not valid payment methods at Lowe‘s stores or website.
To be fair, Lowe‘s is far from the only major retailer resistant to mobile payments. Other big holdouts include Walmart, Kroger, and Publix, all of which have actively blocked NFC payments in favor of developing their own proprietary mobile apps with integrated rewards and payment features. Like Lowe‘s, these merchants often cite the high cost and complexity of upgrading legacy checkout systems as a barrier to adopting contactless tech.
However, as more and more consumers come to expect the convenience and flexibility of paying with their phones, experts predict it‘s only a matter of time before the remaining mobile wallet holdouts cave to the pressure. "Contactless payments are quickly becoming table stakes for retailers," says Theresa Ward, a payments analyst at Gartner. "Merchants that fail to embrace the technology risk losing customers to more tech-forward competitors."
What Payment Methods Does Lowe‘s Accept?
While you can‘t tap or scan to pay with your digital wallet at Lowe‘s (yet), the retailer does offer several other options to complete your purchase, including:
- Cash
- Personal checks
- Lowe‘s gift cards
- Visa credit and debit cards
- Mastercard credit and debit cards
- Discover credit and debit cards
- American Express credit cards
- Lowe‘s Advantage credit card (offers 5% off purchases or special financing)
- Lease-to-own program through Progressive Leasing
One potential workaround is to use Google Pay or Samsung Pay to purchase Lowe‘s gift cards at another retailer, then use those gift cards to shop at Lowe‘s. It‘s not the seamless experience of paying directly with your phone, but it allows you to utilize your mobile wallet balance.
Lowe‘s also offers its own credit cards that come with perks like everyday discounts and interest-free financing offers for large purchases. The Lowe‘s Advantage card can be co-branded as a Visa Rewards or Amex Rewards card to earn points on other spending too. While you can‘t apply for these cards using Google or Samsung Pay, you can add them to your digital wallet after approval and use them anywhere contactless payments are accepted.
Pros and Cons of Mobile Wallets
Still on the fence about using mobile payments? Here are some of the key advantages and drawbacks to consider:
Pros:
- Fast, easy, and convenient checkout process
- Secure encryption and tokenization of sensitive card info
- Ability to store multiple payment methods and switch between them quickly
- Can also store loyalty cards, gift cards, and membership cards for easy access
- Contactless scanning reduces germ transmission on shared payment terminal surfaces
- Compatibility with other mobile services like digital receipts and price comparison tools
Cons:
- Not all retailers accept contactless payments yet
- Requires a compatible smartphone or other mobile device
- Potential privacy concerns around tech companies tracking purchase data and habits
- Reliance on battery power and internet/cellular connection to complete transactions
- Learning curve and setup process to enter card info and configure app settings
- Lack of anonymous cash payments
At the end of the day, whether mobile wallets make sense for you depends on your individual shopping habits, payment preferences, and comfort level with financial technology. If you frequently shop at retailers that take contactless payments and value touch-free convenience, it‘s worth exploring your Google Pay and Samsung Pay options.
On the other hand, if you‘re more old school and prefer cash or physical cards, there‘s no rush to force yourself to adopt mobile payments. Merchants like Lowe‘s continue to offer plenty of traditional payment methods with no plans to go 100% digital anytime soon.
The Bottom Line on Google Pay and Samsung Pay at Lowe‘s
To sum it all up, Lowe‘s is one of the few remaining major U.S. retailers that has yet to jump on the mobile payment bandwagon. The company‘s checkout technology can‘t currently process digital wallet payments from Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, or most other contactless apps.
However, that doesn‘t mean you‘re out of luck when it comes to paying for your next home improvement project. Lowe‘s still takes standard payment options like cash, checks, credit and debit cards, and gift cards. And if you‘re set on using your mobile wallet, buying a Lowe‘s gift card elsewhere with Google or Samsung Pay then redeeming it at Lowe‘s is a viable (if slightly inconvenient) workaround.
It‘s hard to say when or if Lowe‘s will follow the retail crowd and start accepting digital wallets. But given the undeniable growth of contactless payments and evolving consumer expectations around fast, flexible, and touch-free checkout options, industry analysts agree mobile support is likely an inevitable part of Lowe‘s future.
"It‘s not a question of if but when," says Ward. "The pandemic permanently shifted consumer behavior towards contactless, and particularly with younger shoppers, mobile payments are becoming a must-have instead of a nice-to-have. Retailers can‘t afford to ignore this trend for long."
In the meantime, tech-savvy home improvers can take their business to Lowe‘s key rivals like The Home Depot, which has accepted NFC payments since 2015. "Consumers ultimately want a choice in how they pay," says Johnson. "The retailers that thrive in the coming years will be those that offer the most seamless, convenient, and value-added payment options."
