Walmart, Capital One end exclusive consumer credit card agreement

Capital One and Walmart announced Friday that they ended the agreement that made Capital One the exclusive issuer of Walmart’s consumer credit cards.

Walmart and Capital One launched their partnership in 2018 after the retail giant ended its two-decade partnership with Synchrony Financial. Capital One began issuing Walmart-branded credit cards starting in 2019.

“While Capital One and Walmart have ended their card partnership, nothing changes today for cardholders – cardholders can continue to earn and redeem rewards, and previously accrued rewards will retain their value,” a press release stated.

“Until informed otherwise, cardholders can also continue to use their Capital One Walmart Rewards Card wherever Mastercard is accepted and the Walmart Rewards Card for purchases at Walmart,” the statement continued.

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The announcement added that Capital One will retain ownership and servicing of the credit card accounts and that additional information will be provided in the coming months to Walmart credit card holders. The existing credit card portfolio represents about $8.5 billion of consumer loans.

The partnership began to unravel after disputes emerged when Walmart accused Capital One of being too slow in updating transactions in cardholders’ accounts and not quickly replacing lost credit cards in late 2022 and early 2023. Those disputes ultimately prompted a lawsuit in April 2023.

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In March 2024, a federal judge ruled that Walmart could end its partnership with Capital One earlier than the contractual commitments stipulated because the lender had failed to provide the required level of customer service.

Capital One said at the time it disagreed with the decision and was considering a potential appeal.

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In a statement provided to Reuters, a Capital One spokesperson said that the two companies “determined that the best path forward for our customers is to end the current partnership and convert existing eligible Walmart Card customers to one of Capital One’s flagship branded rewards products.”

Earlier this year, Capital One announced an agreement to acquire credit card issuer Discover Financial Services in a $35.3 billion all-stock deal aimed at creating a global payments giant.

The proposed merger has drawn scrutiny from the Biden administration, with the Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau signaling they’ll evaluate the deal’s impact on consumers.

Reuters contributed to this report.