No, Dollar General Doesn’t Take Apple Pay (Here’s Why & What to Use Instead)

In this quick guide, I’ll clear up the confusion and  give you up-to-date answer for 2025 and explain exactly what payment methods Dollar General does and doesn’t accept.

What Payment Methods Does Dollar General Accept?

Here’s a quick summary of the payment methods you can and can’t use at Dollar General stores.

Does Dollar General Take Apple Pay?

No, Dollar General does not accept Apple Pay as one of its payment methods!

In July 2020, the company said on Twitter that some of its stores had been updated to support Apple Pay, but it seems as though the company decided to not accept Apple Pay in its stores. Instead, Dollar General has its own digital wallet app called DG GO! that allows customers to pay for their purchases using their phones.

For more information about why Dollar General doesn’t take Apple Pay and how you can use your phone to pay at Dollar General, make sure you read the rest of the post.

Why Doesn’t Dollar General Take Apple Pay?

If you have an iOS device like an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, then Apple Pay is such a convenient payment method, right? So, why doesn’t Dollar General take Apple Pay?

The reason Dollar General does not take Apple Pay is that it wants customers to use its own all-in-one mobile app.

By keeping users inside their ecosystem for both coupons and payments, they can better track shopping habits and promote their own deals. Other major retailers like Walmart (with Walmart Pay) and Kroger (with Kroger Pay) use the same strategy.

How to Pay With Your Phone Using the Dollar General App

Yes, you can still pay with your phone, but you must use the official Dollar General app (sometimes called “Dollar General-Digital Coupons” in app stores).

The old, standalone “DG GO!” app has been discontinued and its features are now part of the main app.

The “DG GO! – Scan & Go” feature inside the main app allows you to scan your items as you shop and then pay directly from your phone at a designated checkout kiosk.

Here’s how it works:

• First, make sure you are at a store that supports the “DG GO!” feature. You can find participating locations using the store locator and applying the “DG GO!” filter.
• Inside the main Dollar General app, tap the “DG GO!” button at the top of the screen to start scanning your items.
• Once you’re done shopping, you can pay directly in the app.

This is the only mobile payment method accepted at Dollar General stores, as they do not support any third-party NFC digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Why Are Some People Saying They Can Use Apple Pay at Dollar General?

This is where a lot of the confusion comes from.

While the vast majority of the 18,000 standard Dollar General stores do not have the NFC hardware to support Apple Pay, Dollar General does operate a few, rare smaller-format stores called DGX or pOpshelf.

These stores are usually in urban areas and are designed to compete with stores like Five Below.

Because they are newer and use more modern payment terminals, some of these specific locations may accept Apple Pay and other contactless payments.

However, this is the exception, not the rule. For a standard Dollar General store, you should always assume Apple Pay is not an option.

How to Use PayPal on DollarGeneral.com

Aside from credit cards, you can also use PayPal on DollarGeneral.com. PayPal allows you to attach various cards to your PayPal account, so it’s similar to Apple Pay in that way. And, you can even attach your bank account and make payments directly from your checking or savings account.

So, this is a good option if you are looking to use a digital wallet to pay for purchases online.

If you select PayPal as your payment option on DollarGeneral.com, then you will continue through the standard checkout process, then automatically proceed to PayPal.com to complete your payment.

Once you have been redirected to PayPal.com, you will have 25 minutes to complete the payment before your order is dropped.

What Stores Take Apple Pay?

Sure, DG GO! is offered to customers as a way to pay for purchases at DG, but it’s not for everyone and not all stores support it.

If you want to use Apple Pay, then you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of stores out there that do indeed accept it as a payment method.

Here are some stores that accept Apple Pay:

• Acme Markets
• Albertsons
• Best Buy
• Costco
• DoorDash
• Family Dollar
• Food Maxx
• Instacart
• Meijer
• Publix
• Safeway
• Save Mart
• Schnucks
• Shop N Save
• Target
• Trader Joe’s
• Walgreens
• White Castle
• Whole Foods Market
• Winn-Dixie

You can use Apple Pay in stores that have the contactless payment symbol or the Apple Pay symbol.

If you want to find stores near you that accept Apple Pay, then search for “Apple Pay” in Maps. This will allow you to see nearby stores that accept Apple Pay.

Here’s how:

1. Open up Maps on your iPhone.
2. Then, type the type of store you’re interested in, like “dollar store nearby,” “grocery store nearby” or “supermarket nearby,” into the search bar.
3. A list of stores will appear. Select the store you want.
4. Tap “Useful to Know.” This will give you details on whether Apple Pay is accepted at that particular store or not.

Closing Thoughts

Unfortunately, Dollar General doesn’t accept Apple Pay. You can still pay with your phone, but you’ll need to use the scan-and-pay features built into the main Dollar General app, and only at select stores.

As I mentioned above, there are lots of stores that do accept Apple Pay as a payment method. So, you can try those. Family Dollar is a good alternative to DG if you’re looking for dollar stores that take Apple Pay.

Hopefully, this guide answered your question: “Does Dollar General take Apple Pay?” Now you know your options for paying at DG and nearby stores.