H-E-B, one of the largest grocery store chains in Texas, is testing Apple Pay at one of its Central Market locations in Dallas. The long-time holdout finally appears to be ready to offer Apple Pay to its customers, according to a new report by Chron. H-E-B operates over 300 locations across Texas, making it one of the largest grocery store chains in the state.
In a statement, H-E-B’s managing director of public affairs, Marbie Jackson said that this is a “one-store pilot program” to test support for tap-to-pay technology like Apple Pay. Jackson did not mention a timeline for expanding Apple Pay support beyond this single location.
“We are launching a one-store pilot program to test digital tap-to-pay systems, starting at our Lovers Lane Central Market in Dallas,” Jackson said to Chron. “While we hope to offer these tap-to-pay services at more stores in the future, however, there is no timeframe to expand this service beyond the one pilot location.”
Jackson added that H-E-B is “always exploring a broad range of technologies to enhance how customers shop and pay for products.”
H-E-B and Walmart are the two most notable holdouts when it comes to accepting Apple Pay payments. Nationally-known grocer Kroger had held out for years, pushing its own contactless payments system. However, Kroger gave in to customer pressure in 2023, launching Apple Pay at its stores.