Not at all retailers have rushed to support Apple Pay, the largest mobile wallet outside of China. We aren’t talking about the small ones, either: Walmart doesn’t take Apple Pay. But most upgraded hardware where needed to enable mobile payments, including Aldi, which started accepting it almost all of its locations back in September 2017, to deliver a faster, more efficient shopping experience for its customers.
Does Aldi Take Apple Pay?
You can use Apple Pay on an Apple Watch or iPhone at all Aldi stores in the United States.
“We’re continually innovating to provide our customers a faster, more efficient shopping experience that saves them time and money,” said Jason Hart, CEO of Aldi, when it first rolled out support for Apple Pay in September 2017. “Shoppers love Aldi because we build and run stores they can shop quickly. Contactless payment makes shopping at Aldi that much faster and more convenient,” Hart adds.
There are no additional fees for using Apple Pay in Aldi: Fees are the same as if you were to hand the card itself to the cashier. This means that if you’re traveling abroad and you use Apple Pay in Aldi to pay in the local currency, you may still be charged an international transaction fee. The same applies to online transactions handled through Apple Pay. These charges (if applicable) are applied by the card issuer and not Apple.
You’ll continue to earn all of the same rewards as you would with your physical card while using Apple Pay. For example, if you’re a Chase customer earning 1% cashback rewards on grocery purchases, you’ll still be eligible for these when you pay through Apple Pay. You can also use Apple Pay for cashback at participating locations — but again, any charges the card issuer tacks on for using this service will still apply.
Another thing worth considering is that Apple Pay doesn’t open the door to use credit cards Aldi doesn’t accept. For example, the retailer doesn’t take Discover-issued Diners Club credit cards at any of its locations in the United States. You add a Diners Club card to Apple Pay, but you still wouldn’t be able to use it to transact in an Aldi store. This would only be accepted in retailers that accept Diners Club, like rival Walmart.
In addition to Apple Pay, Aldi also accepts Google Pay and Samsung Pay. These function much the same as Apple Pay. You’ll need to use a card that Aldi takes while using them, and neither add their own transaction fees for the convenience of leaving your wallet at home, nor should they impact your ability to earn rewards from the card issuer for qualifying purchases, but always check with them first if you’re unsure.
How to Use Apple Pay in Aldi
You don’t need to jump through any extra hoops to use Apple Pay in Aldi. The process is the same as using it in any other retailer. Just let the cashier know you want to pay with Apple Pay, then follow the usual steps (we’ll dive into those in a second, so if it’s your first time using Apple Pay, keep reading) to launch the service on your Apple Watch or iPhone, then hold it over the card reader for a few seconds, and that’s it.
Assuming you’ve already added a card to Apple Wallet, all you need to do is double-press the Power button on the side of your iPhone or Apple Watch. Your default card will appear on the screen. You can scroll down to select a different card. You’ll then need to use Face ID, or enter your passcode, to authenticate yourself (on an iPhone), then hold the device near the contactless reader until you hear a beep.
A confirmation notification will then appear on the screen of your device, letting you know that the payment went through with the amount of the transaction. This will be stored in the Wallet application, so you can reference it at a later date, should you need to. The transaction will also appear on your bank statement and mobile banking services, the same way it would if you paid using the physical version of the card.
Can You Use Apple Pay for Aldi Delivery?
Aldi has partnered with Instacart for its delivery service, which accepts Apple Pay. You’ll only be able to use this payment method however if you place your order from an iPhone or iPad through the Instacart application, or on a Mac through the Aldi or Instacart websites. New customers may be eligible for a discount on their first order, so have a hunt around to see if you can find any coupons to save a few bucks.
