The merge contacts option is missing in macOS contacts

The Merge option still exists in Contacts in macOS Tahoe 26.6.2.

Apple’s current documentation explicitly says that when you select duplicate cards, you should be able to choose Card >> Merge Selected Cards. (Apple Support)

The important catch is where those two cards belong:

If both cards are in the same Contacts account, the command should be Card >> Merge Selected Cards.

If the two cards are from different accounts (for example, iCloud + Google), Contacts treats them differently. 

Apple provides Card >> Link Selected Cards instead, because the underlying cards remain in their respective accounts. (Apple Support)

Apple also documents Card >> Merge and Link Selected Cards for the situation where one duplicate is in one account and the other is in another. (Apple Support)

So if you have selected two cards and "Merge Selected Cards" is completely absent, I would first check whether the two cards are actually from the same account. 

That is much more likely to explain what you are seeing than macOS 26.6.2 having removed the feature.

There is also a quick way to test it: with the two cards selected, press Shift–Command–L. 

Apple documents that shortcut as Merge selected cards when they are ‘in the same account, or link selected cards when they are in different accounts. (Apple Support)

Apple: Merge contact cards in Contacts on Mac

Apple still documents Card > Merge Selected Cards in Contacts. 

For duplicate cards in the same account, this is the command Apple provides for merging them. 

Contacts handles cards from different accounts differently and provides linking options. Apple: Merge contact cards in Contacts on Mac

On macOS 26.6.2, select the two duplicate contacts and check the Card menu. 

You can also try Card > Look for Duplicates. 

If the contacts belong to different accounts, you may see Link Selected Cards or Merge and Link Selected Cards instead. 

You can check the accounts under Contacts > Settings > Accounts. Apple: Use contact accounts in Contacts on Mac

If both contacts are in the same account and Merge Selected Cards is still missing, the account distinction does not explain the problem. 

At that point, the exact contents of the Card menu after selecting both contacts are needed to determine why the command isn't appearing.

About the security content of macOS Tahoe 26.7.1

So, the feature is still documented by Apple; the important first check is whether the selected contacts are in the same account. Apple: Merge contact cards in Contacts on Mac

The two options, Merge Selected Cards and Link Selected Cards, are mutually exclusive. If you select contacts that are in different accounts, then you will see Link Selected Cards as shown in your screenshot. If you select contacts that are in the same account, then you will see Merge Selected Cards in the same menu position.

Nope! I selected two cards, and the merge option is nonexistent.

Thanks for the responses. Apple's minimalist interface overcomplicates this. If I knew which accounts these contacts belonged to, I might have understood the issue better.