New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- Ending a long-standing holdout, Walmart announced on Friday that it will roll out widespread contactless payment options-most notably Apple Pay-across its operations.

This rollout is part of the world's largest retailer's initiative to streamline the shopping experience and increase convenience for consumers, Bloomberg reported.

The new payment methods will be integrated across all of Walmart's physical stores by the end of the year, as well as on its websites and mobile applications.

For years, Walmart has been one of the most prominent retail holdouts resisting third-party contactless payments.

Previously, the only way shoppers could use contactless checkout at Walmart was through the retailer's own proprietary...