Have you been wanting to pick up groceries at Walmart? Does it save you time and money to order online from Walmart, or does it it just add to meal planning frustration? Have you had problems with Walmart Grocery Pickup? We save nearly 50% on our grocery bill when we use their grocery pickup service. Here is everything you need to know – including the question everyone is dying to know – do you tip Walmart Grocery Pickup?!
What is Walmart Grocery Pickup
Have you ever gone to the grocery store for “just a few things” and ended up leaving having spent at least $20 more than you needed to?
Or skipped going to the store- and been without milk for an extra day- just because it would involve loading and unloading your children into the car and dragging them through the aisles?
I hope I’m not the only one who has done that before. I generally enjoy grocery shopping but I recently discovered how amazing it is to use the Walmart Free Grocery Pickup Service.
It has been life-changing. No really. It has! I no longer impulse buy or have to waste precious time going in and out of the store to get my groceries each week.
You simply order your groceries online, reserve a time slot to pick up and a Walmart employee shops, bags and bring your groceries out to your car for you! They’ll even load them into your car and the best part is this service is absolutely free. No need to tip or pay an extra service fee either.
It is so easy to do but I am going to share all you need to know when placing your own order.
How to Use Walmart Grocery Pickup
Find a Location and Make an Account
Most importantly, make sure your local Walmart store offers grocery pick-up. You will need an account to place an order so you can do so at Walmart.com.
It is so quick and easy and all you need is an email address. Once you’ve signed in, you click on the Grocery Pickup tab and it will let you know if the pickup serves your area. If so, you continue on by putting in your zip code which will then bring up your nearest Walmart stores. Pick the store you want to shop at and you’re all ready to go!
Start Order from Walmart Online
Next, comes the fun part!
Choosing your groceries. I prefer to write a list out beforehand so I don’t get distracted and stick to only what I need. You can type in a product or the general idea at the top of the screen and all your options will come up.
For example, if you put in “orange juice” a variety of brands and sizes will appear and you then click “add to cart” once you’ve chosen what you would like. When it comes to produce or meat you can choose how many pounds of each item you need so it is easy to customize to fit your needs.
Bonus tip: every time you log in to place an order it saves some of your most used products on the main screen so you can add them quickly. I always have paper towels, cheese, yogurt and milk pop up!
Once you have completed your list it will ask you to choose a time to pick up. They have you choose in one-hour increments allowing you to go anytime during that hour window.
Walmart Grocery Substitutions
One thing it asks is if you will allow substitutions. Sometimes items might be out of stock. If you click the allow substitutions arrow, the grocery shopper will simply find a replacement for it.
Usually, they will upgrade you to a larger size or give you a different brand at no extra cost! Whenever we’ve bought a store brand item, and they’ve had to substitute, it’s always a more expensive brand (and they charge you the cheaper price!).
Walmart Pickup Hours
After placing an order online, you can select a convenient pickup time slot that best fits your schedule. With flexible hours available 7 days a week, from 7 AM to 11 PM, the service caters to early birds, late-night shoppers, and everyone in between. This ease of scheduling, combined with the broad range of pickup hours, ensures you can retrieve your groceries at a time most convenient for you.
Grocery Pickup at Walmart
Walmart will send you an email right before your time slot opens up to let you know your groceries are ready. I have never had to wait and my groceries have always been ready on time. You can download the Grocery Pick Up app on your phone which allows you to check in so they know you are on your way.
Once you get to your store, follow the Grocery Pickup signs to the pickup area and pull into one of the reserved parking spots.
The first time you park in one of the reserved grocery pickup parking spots, the app will prompt you to enter your spot number and car color. However, rest assured, this is a one-time task, as the app will remember your car details for subsequent visits, ensuring an even swifter process. If you encounter issues checking in via the Walmart app, you can check in at the store. Simply park in one of the designated ‘pick-up’ parking spots and call the phone number provided on the parking sign or in your confirmation email.
A friendly grocery worker will then come out to greet you and return with your groceries!
They bag everything up and bring them out in big bins. I like this because it keeps the bags from getting squished or toppled on top of each other.
Walmart Grocery Payment
You will need to put a credit or debit card number in your Walmart account. They do not accept cash at the pickup. Once you have arrived and gone over your order they will charge your card and then give you a printed copy of the groceries you purchased.
That sounds easy enough, right? I have loved using the Grocery Pickup and I love sitting down the night before I need groceries to go over my list and planning my weekly menus.
This week has been cold and snowy in Utah so I was able to plan ahead, and order ingredients to make chili and cornbread for dinner. My weekly grocery items also include items for my daughter’s school lunch plus fresh produce. They always do a fantastic job of picking only the freshest products!
If you have the option to do Grocery Pickup at your local Walmart I would highly recommend it! If you’ve used it before we’d love to hear in the comments what you thought about it!
Walmart Grocery Tips and Tricks
Here are a few things to keep in mind to make your Grocery pickup experience a little bit better:
- You cannot use coupons or rebate apps such as Ibotta. This can be a downside for a lot of people! The reason you can’t use it for a rebate app is that they don’t give you a traditional receipt – it’s a printed out piece of paper. This is a big reason why I often will choose Kroger Grocery Pickup because you can use coupons and use rebate apps!
- You can change your order after you place it. I’ve had plenty of experiences where I decided I didn’t need something – or I did need something
- Download the app! It makes for easier check-in, and you can easily place an order from the app.
- If you have a complaint or question, make sure you call customer service. I’ve found them to be much more responsive and friendly than if I make a complaint in the store itself, and they make things right.
- Have your list with you as you add your items – it will save you from binge shopping. The main reason I save around 50% on our bill is because I’m able to double check my pantry, and I don’t throw random stuff in my cart as I’m shopping like I do in the grocery store.
How to Pay for Walmart Grocery Pickup
You will need to use your credit or debit card. If you are on food stamps, you can use your EBT card. However, they do not accept cash, checks, or WIC
What is the difference between Walmart pickup and delivery?
Walmart Pickup is a service available for free for thousands of products and grocery items. For groceries, there must be a $30 minimum, but for non-grocery items, there typically isn’t a minimum order amount. When you do Walmart Grocery Pickup, you park in the parking lot in a designated spot, check in on your phone (or call a number), and they will bring out your order. The process is the same for non-grocery items – but you can also choose to pick them up inside.
Walmart delivery works similarly – you order your groceries or other items online, and they are delivered to your front porch. Groceries have a minimum of $30 for delivery.
Are you supposed to tip Walmart grocery pickup?
It’s natural to want to tip someone who is bringing something straight to your car. Here is the official policy from Walmart:
“No. Tips cannot be accepted, but a “thank you” and a smile are always welcome. Please complete the post-order survey to let us know about your experience and help us make your next order better!”
Other alternatives to tipping
The Walmart policy is no tipping – which means, there really aren’t any alternatives beyond a kind word to the person who brings your groceries out.
Problems with Walmart Grocery Pickup
If you read the comment section below, you will find people who have different complaints about Walmart Grocery Pickup – and they have been valid. Here are a few common ones, and what I would do:
- Food not Fresh/Nearly Expired – I have found that a lot of Walmart stores, in general, have nearly expired food sitting out, and it drives me CRAZY! Just last week, I bought some hot dog buns, and when I brought them home, I found that they were over a week past the best by date. Even though it’s a bit time consuming, just check everything before you leave the store. If there is anything
- Prices More Expensive Online – The prices that you get for grocery pickup should be the same as they would be in store. I have never experienced this, but there are several people who have
- Website Glitchy – I’ve experienced this myself when I’ve tried to use a coupon code one or two times – it just would keep scrolling, and then I would have to redo my entire order. It happened for a few days, and it drove me crazy! I know that once the whole system went down, and all the payments were in limbo. There were a lot of complaints about this.
- Forgetting Items – Some people have experienced them not bringing out all the items they have. They *should* go over the receipt with you to make sure everything is there, but this doesn’t always happen. If this does happen, customer service should refund you, but it is a pain to not have everything you ordered! Just double check that you have everything you ordered when they bring it out.
Walmart Grocery Reviews
Obviously, we have had a pretty good experience with Walmart Grocery. I do think there could be improvements (such as giving you an extra receipt), but for the most part, I think it’s a great option. I have young children, and it’s not always easy to get into the store with them, so I think being able to just drive up and get my groceries is ideal.
Below in the comments, you will find TONS of reviews, so make sure you read those and leave yours as well!
Other Grocery Services:
I know a lot of people have had complaints about this service. While I do like it a lot, I have been using Shipt lately, and I LOVE it. It’s a grocery delivery service, and it is available at many grocery stores across the country. We use it with Target and King Soopers (Kroger affiliate). We have also used Instacart, which has been great and Target Drive Up1
Here are some reviews we have done of these services:
- Instacart vs. Shipt: Which Grocery Delivery Service is the Best?
- Shipt Grocery Delivery Review: Is it Worth Doing?
- Target Drive Up: Everything You Need to Know in 2021
DeAnna says
I live in a rural area and Walmart is one of the very few shopping choices that’s available. I love the service and I’ve had little or no issues. The service saves me so much time, energy and money (no impulse buying) My local Walmart Neighborhood Market has switched to ALL checkouts as self scan with employees hanging around chatting – aggravating me to no end! When I go into the store I have to shop, scan, bag, put in car, unload and put up…I’m doing it all with no discount offered. The pick-up service saves me 4 out of the 6 steps. Plus I care for my mother who has dementia and can’t be left alone. When she use to shop with me it would be a 3 hour ordeal. Now we just load up in the car, drive to the pick-up area and drive home…so much time saved with less frustration.
Pat says
I use grocery pickup at Walmart in Ohio. The online site states and it is true, that the items are more expensive. I do not allow for substitutions because the one time I did, it was much more expensive. However these two downsides do not stop me from taking advantage of the time-saving and convenience of this Walmart service!
LMorantine says
I know this is about grocery pickup, and I’m doing grocery pickup it for the first time tomorrow. I’ve only used the Walmart grocery delivery service once 2 years ago when I needed food and I was sick with the flu. I had asked for antidiarreal medication as I was having that issue too. What I got instead was a laxative. Oh well.
Jes says
Like most others I truly appreciate Walmart pick up these days. I like that I’m not paying more for something plus a fee/membership plus a tip like Costco and Publix. I’ve gotten the website down, love that they saved thing I bought before and all I have to do is call ans raise the back of my SUV from inside my car. The people come out and load it in. They don’t xpect a tip so what I do is after a couple of times from the same person I give them a $5 tip and tell them it’s for all the times they’ve helped me. It would be nice if Walmart had more than 1person working busy shifts but it’s not the delivery persons fault. Anyway, I hope they continue this service after the plague is over!
Pennie Newton says
Walmart pick up has been a God send to me. I am disabled and cannot do my own shopping anymore so I depend on them to be there for me and they have! No complaints whatsoever. So very friendly and courteous and I’ve never had to wait over 5 minutes to get my groceries. My only complaint is that now that we are in quarantine, no paper products are available on line, so can’t buy t/paper & towels and I can’t go inside because of disabilities.
Jason says
Amazon.com and Walmart.com are direct competitors. I always buy more TP or paper towels from the cheaper place when I have 2 rolls of each left…
The Amazon generic brand is almost as good as bounty, and you can get 2x the amount of product for the same price!
Walmart has the cheaper name brand stuff, but Amazon has good quality generic brand stuff.
Chelsea Johnson says
We’ve been using Walmart Grocery Pick-up for three years now and I still love it! It really is a game-changer!
Ruth says
What if you don’t have a phone with Apps. How do you check in and let the store know that you are there?
Katie says
From what I remember, when you arrive at the pickup spot, the parking signs have a number you can call 🙂
Carole Eliason says
Phone number listed in every parking space. Call from cell and they respond quickly. Been using service since started and love it.
Terri says
Today I woke up to find that my early morning pickup was canceled. This was a large order for the week. This is the second time in a month that Walmart has done this. They then offered me a $15 promo code to shop in their stores! I’m so frustrated! Customer Service has advised that the system has crashed and I can do my order again tomorrow! I understand that technology can fail but that is no excuse for not calling or texting your customers when their order is canceled. They should Ofer a $20 gift card that customers can spend anywhere and NOT AT WALMART. I’m going to start using Kroger’s pickup service. Wish me luck!
Jane bice says
Kroger has problems hiring enough people. I drove yesterday for my 5:30 pickup only to be told to come back in 45 minutes. 2nd time this has happened.
Steve says
Overall I like the pick-up. Some problems I have had is with the allow substitutions. Rarely am I pleased with the substitution selection. Luckily, however, you can refuse them at the time of pickup. I have also noticed that sometimes items are not listed on the app, or are not available (at time of pickup), when I know good and well they are. I just go in and get the items, which is still easier than doing all the shopping. One note to others, the Walmart App is not just limited to groceries, you can also use it for other store items.
Penny says
Hi, what happens if the person that brought my items out, forgot to have me sign for my order? thank you
Jason says
They aren’t having people sign the pads anymore due to covid19. Instead, they ask if it’s okay to sign for you and then draw a line. They might not go back to doing the signature stuff because they have other means of verification, and it’s a lot faster to do it this way.
Jes says
This wasn’t a great first experience. I’ve been sick and in the house for two weeks so I hoped this would help replenish much needed food for a couple of weeks. The person who bought the food didn’t speak English, which wouldn’t have been a problem, but there were issues with my order, so she had to get a mgr. I was going to make a stew and I got everything that goes in it EXCEPT THE MEAT. Evidently the meat truck didn’t come in so she recommended I call to see if my stew meat was there the next day!! And they didn’t have 4 necessary thing I ordered without telling me they were out of stock. I was going to tip $10 because there were 19 bags but the mgr didn’t have change for a $20, however, she said even tho they’re not supposed to, they do accept tips. Oh and the $10 coupon code I used was fine until I added a few things and it disappeared. They also emailed me my receipt. I understand your recommendation to check the bags for what I bought but that kind of defeats the purpose. On the plus side, even tho I checked no substitutes, the 2.5 lb ham I ordered to make pea soup for $13+ was substituted for one that is 7lb for $20…now I need more split peas and hope the cold temps last a while in FL. Im older so there will be times when I’m home due to health issues, so I really needed this to work. I’ll give it another try and hope it’s a better experience.
Steve says
I live in NW Alabama here, and the first time I used it, I offered a tip and was told they cannot accept it. Keep in mind that most everything at Walmart is monitored, if an employee accepts a tip, they could be putting their job in jeopardy.
Cathleen says
I have noticed these problems people have had, except the computer problems, have been with the individual stores. If you can, change to a WalMart in another location if not too far from you. The shoppers undergo a 3 week training course. At my store they do an excellent job substituting and choose produce that I would choose. They always choose the best dates, especially for dairy. Talk to the manager of your store and tell him/her to shape up and get with the program as far as the lousey training program.
Katie says
Great tips, Cathleen!
Jenny says
The grocery pickup is new to our area (within the last 6 weeks), so I decided to try it today. I’m partially disabled and dependent on relatives to drive me around, so this seemed like a great solution.
Unfortunately, 1 item wasn’t available in any form, 5 were substituted, and 5 were never bagged and given to me, which we didn’t discover until I’d gotten back home and unloaded everything.
They were very apologetic when I called, and I’ll be getting a $25 gift card for my trouble, but now I have to find another driver to run after these (very important) missed items. Some of the substitutions were tolerable, although I wasn’t happy about them. Others were not discussed with me while I was there, and I didn’t discover them until I got home. I now have 12 boxes of dried soup in a brand I cannot stand. What bothers me about that particular item is that I marked it “do not substitute” when I placed the order, because I’m very picky about it.
They also replaced my out-of-stock cheese sticks with tater tots. And they replaced my hash browns with tater tots. Since I had already ordered tater tots myself, this was serious overkill. Fortunately, my dog likes tater tots!
I’ll probably give them another chance, but if they were that low on these products in the wee hours of the morning (I placed the order at 5 am and picked it up at 9:30) then why wasn’t there an alert when I ordered them? Some kind of red flag would have warned me that I might not be getting what I wanted.
Aside from all that, there was only a 5-minute wait for them to bring the groceries out, and the clerk was quite friendly. Also, I did not get a receipt at the store. They emailed it to me.
Judy Stinger says
I’ve been using the pick up order service and I’m more than satisfied with it is excellent. However I’m relocating and I’m traveling and I’m trying to place an order in the location where I’m traveling now and I’m not able to change the store that I originally bought it from. How do I do that
Jason says
Yeah they stopped doing paper orders a while ago…
You can edit the substitutions section in your order and tell them not to substitute certain things. I like a specific brand of blue cheese dressing, so I had to turn off substitutions for it!
Fortunately, it’s a per-item option, and it saves your settings for that item for next time!
Carole Eliason says
Times this has happened at my Wallmart I called and they took it off my bill. I should same time. In the couple years this has only happened once
Araceli Salazar says
I don’t seem to find the keep shopping tab if I want to add more items after I already placed my order. Can you help me?
Teresea says
Normally it is quick and I am very happy. But twice in the last few months I have had to wait over an hour for groceries. Last evening there were 8 cars waiting and no one was happy. I have emailed Walmart corporate and hope the problem can be corrected. I love this service… when it works. 🙂
Jason says
My Walmart always had only 2 people doing orders. No more than that.
Maybe they thought people liked walking through the store for an hour trying to find a specific item?
They’ve finally started training more people after they got flooded with orders consistently for a week. Now they have 6 people trained for grocery pickup! I feel bad for them. Corporate really doesn’t understand that only a small percentage of people actually like going into stores.
Kay cobb says
How can I use my associates discount for my grocery pickup ? I know not all groceries, but sometimes I order from the pharmacy , and there some items in grocery that you can use this discount,
Squinn says
If you order a taxable item, be sure to uncheck the “Substitution” box for that item. If not, the item may be substituted with another without deleting or substituting the tax on the original item. If you want to know the tax rate or if an item is taxable, call Customer Service. For example, Equate High Performance Protein Shakes are taxable for chocolate flavor, but not vanilla. In some circumstances, many items are labeled incorrectly. For example, if you ord Wolf Brand Turkey Chili, you may get beef and vise versa.
Katie says
Thank you! Great tip!
Michelle Latham says
Hey just wanted to chime in and let you know I work for walmart grocery pick up and loved how detail you got for others and thank you for using your grocery pick up, also wanted to let you know starting the 13th we start delivery, what yes delivery if you live close by your local walmart with a 10 mile radius we will start to do delivery it’s a $10 fee in Oklahoma I’m sure it’s the same in other places but you will do your order the same but you will check delivery option instead its gonna be great also our store in Oklahoma sends you a receipt to your email some store wont do printed receipts but in your email it will give you ur receipt number that you can use in some of those savings apps unfortunately I’m not sure if it will work with ibotta since you cant copy and paste also if your code doesnt work please let customer service or walmart.com know so they can send you a code to your email and help you out with that also if you share your link to friends and family you will send them $10 off and once they use you get $10 off back. Also new users can use code WOWFRESH at checkout for $10 off $50 or more. And if you ever have a issue with expired or old food please let us know and we will take it off your bill and refund you for that item or give you a new one when you return we like to have happy customers. If you pick up and you would like to check your groceries as we load up that’s no issue at all we want you to be happy with your shopping experience. Alot of people ask why we didnt substitute a item sometimes you have not clicked to allow substitutes so please make sure you do so and we will try our best to find one that is similar to your item if we are out of stock of stuff close we try to get a different brand or 2 smaller sizes of the item you orders to equal out. And the tips yes we have alot of our lovely customers that would like to tip but as walmart employees we cant except tips so how we get noticed for our job please take the survey and mention our names so we get noticed for our job that is our tip from you thank you. Most of our store have competitions with each other on who can get the most surveys. Its 3 questions and star rating.
harry ray says
2 walmarts in deland fl-smaller one gives you a phone# to contact to pickup grocery order-large store does not supply a phone# for people who do not text or sit home until contacted that order is ready-someone needs to inform walmart to upgrade information-called 800# to get info??
Keisha says
Say a pork loin is listed as 2-4 pounds with price $4.50/pkg max and does not show an actual price per pound, does that mean $4.50 is the most you will pay?
Katie says
I believe so!
Diana Castle says
Ive used pick up several times with good results but today when I got home I realized I did not receive the water I ordered or the Pepsi I ordered. I have never received a list at pick up of my order as it stated above. The nice gentleman that brought my groceries out advised me of a few items that were not available but did not hear about water or pepsi being not available. I
Frank Sivie says
Just picked an order up from Spring Lake NC. Two wonderful young men, Devlin and Christian, brought it and carefully loaded my car. They treated me with great respect, they make great ambassadors for Walmarts anywhere. Give the a raise, promotions, days off, they are worth it
Erin says
My only two comments would be that
1) when you are ordering produce, if you say 1 that literally means 1. I made the mistake on my first order of assuming since they listed the price per pounds on the bananas, that then if I said one it would mean 1 bunch at the price per pound weight. I only realized my mistake when I arrived for pickup and saw the bag with only one banana in it.
2)Be aware that if you order anything premade (ie. Individual salads, the deli pinwheels, and the like), they are very prone to be sold out. This is my one gripe with the Walmart pickup. They only make a certain number for day, rather than paying attention to what might have been order via the grocery app and setting that many aside for the pickup (despite them being guaranteed sold).
Carol says
I have a question, I’m hoping the answer is yes. Do they store the perishable items in refrigerated areas ( or in freezers for frozen items)? Or does it all sit out in room temperature waiting to be picked up?
Katie says
From what I understand, it is in a refrigerated case until they bring it out! My refrigerated items have always been separate and cold 🙂
Pam says
They have a refrigerated and frozen area for the grocery pickup orders to be stored in.
Lois Mroz says
I want to compliment Jacob the young man who brought my groceries to my car. Very polite and respectful.
Michelle says
How do I select the pound(s) of produce or meat that I want? The ranges posted for the item could be quite broad. I wanted to order a beef brisket. The posted per pound price was over $6/lb. The range given online was 1.66 – 5.76 so, depending on the weight the shopper chose for me, my bill for that brisket could have been close to $40 when I only needed 2 pounds. I couldn’t find a way to leave a note or a remark to the shopper.
Katie says
This is something I’ve always been frustrated with as well – they don’t allow you to really specify what you want. This is where I definitely prefer shipt over Walmart pickup. There has to be a way to leave a note for the shopper, but I haven’t found it 🙁
Darlene says
You pay $49.00 a year for Wal-Mart pick up?
Katie says
No, I use Shipt.
Frank Sivie says
Just picked an order up from Spring Lake NC. Two wonderful young men, Devlin and Christian, brought it and carefully loaded my car. They treated me with great respect, they make great ambassadors for Walmarts anywhere. Give the a raise, promotions, days off, they are worth it
PerryC says
So much for the “fee” part of free pick-up. The last 3 times I used the service there is now a fee line item just below tax. It’s no longer free though they profess it to be. 🙁
Katie says
That’s a bummer!!
Martha says
What was the fee listed as and what was the amount? I’m interested in using this service but would like to know all I can beforehand as I want to avoid any surprises. Thanks!
Ginny says
I used the pick up service for the first time which I really liked. They were courteous & professional. I ordered something that I could not use they (the store) put that item’s cost back on my credit card & told me to give the item to a charity.
Lesli Jenkins says
I have been using the Walmart pick up for a while now. One tip: Bananas, if you tell the app one, it means 1 banana. Not one bunch or one pound. The other issue I have discovered is ordering deli meat. There seems to be no place to relate your preferred thickness. So my ham was cut at a 2, instead of the chipped ham I wanted. I just sent an email to them about this. I thought there had been a place for special instructions but I couldn’t find it. The last thing is be very careful about your sizes when you order. Another tipis to favorite your favorites, it makes things a lot easier.
NAtAsha says
I have a question! Other person can pick-up my purchase for my?
Katie says
They can!
JESSILEE says
I used this service when I was looking at an empty refrigerator and depleting panty stock. My child was sick for a week and my husband wa deployed. I couldnt be happier with the service. Pros: I could care for my son. No concern of forgetting items due to rushing. Great quality products. Substitutions made if the exact product I want isnt available. Refund for items not available with no substitution. Easy to navigate app. Friendly delivery driver who brings groceries to the door. You choose your most convenient delivery time.
Jimmy Blevins says
Since the grocery pick up service has started our local Walmart has become a joke. The shelves are always empty . If it is a popular item then you will not be getting it. The large empty spaces are in every aisle. Half gallons of milk, the cheaper loaves of bread, even tomatoes are long gone. People wandering the store shacking their heads in awe. Here in Florida it is almost like just before a Hurricane is susposed to hit land and the folks have rushed the store. I drove to another store 30 miles away this afternoon hoping to get items I could not find in the local Walmart. I found it in worse shape than the one at home. There were carts sitting everywhere with blue boxes on them and employees attempting to fill the call in orders. People were fussing about not being able to get past them and the lack of items. I could not locate coffee creamer or even pinto beans ? To make matters worse the Hugh store had only TWO check outs open and everything else “Scan and Go” self check out stations . I like a lot of people refuse to pay the prices charged for groceries then have to check ourselves out and bag our purchases. They can keep the damned stuff first. Many customers were leaving their carts and walking out !
I will never again shop Walmart Grocery stores again. I will drive farther and pay more to find what I need and be treated like a decent customer and not like a servant to the Walton Family. What they do not see is the loss of walk in business and the extra impulse purchases Sam Walton would be flipping in his grave if he knew how the stores were being mismanaged now.
John Lumbert says
I agree. Walmart as far as stocking and having on hand items goes and as far as checkout service goes to walk in customers has become the pits. They have also ruined Electronics. I used to look forward to shopping there but no longer. Unfortunately local store management has very little say in any of this. I think opening an extra checkout line must take corporate approval now.
Janet Werner says
I’ve tried opening my account for pick up service but i need someone to walk me through it over the phone, but, I don’t have another phone to do it. I’m a amputee and cannot drive or go anywhere to get my groceries, I have to go according when a family or friend goes to pick up my groceries. So, Do you have a phone number that I can have someone to walk thru with me ? I had a password but can’t remember it. Please help, I need a phone number to call for help.
Janet,
O’Fallon, Il.
But , shop in Belleville, Il
Thank you
Linda Bailey says
I love Walmart grocery pick up. It has been a life saver for me over the last two years due to multiple surgeries I’ve had. I also subscribe to Shipt, and while I do like it, there have been two occasions when the shopper never showed up, but Shipt did discount me on my next delivery. Another lifesaver to me to have groceries delivered. So, I like them both, use them both, and today at Walmart the young person who brought my groceries to my car went beyond duty to make sure none of the bags were over the weight lifting limits that I currently have.
Katie says
Thanks for sharing!
blah says
Walmart does not accept ebt for pickup orders. Only a few select stores do.
Kate says
My daughter, who has young kids, steered me to the Walmart grocery pickup. We both love it and I have not had one bad experience in the months I’ve used it. I don’t like grocery shopping, and it has helped with organization as I just keep a running list on the app as I need things. Then I add things for meals and send my order. I can’t believe the car stocking is without charge, and there are no tips, but I’m glad!
Kristi says
The first time I use this service, it was amazing. Sadly, the second time left a lot to be desired. After checking in and arriving at the store, I literally sat in the parking lot for over 40 minutes without being acknowledged. I tried to call the phone number, and no one answered the phone. I even called to the inside of the store, and was told the Associates were doing the best they could. The purpose of this service should be to make things easier and to avoid the long wait. Sadly, I won’t be using this service again.
Katie says
So frustrating! I’m sorry you had that experience 🙁
Sherri says
My first time using the pickup service was today. I waited 20 minutes & other people who pulled in way after me got in & our in no time. I could have gone inside & purchased my items & been gone by the time I actually got my pickup service. I don’t know if I will use it again ?
Tina Gaddy says
I would like to know how to keep a running list without scheduling a pick up. My daughter-in-law says she does this through the favorites. But how do I add the favorite items all at once? Or do I have to go click add on the each item whether they’re marked as a favorite or not?
Shadow says
Just set up a time. It is not final until you say so. You can always change the time or the day. Works for me.
Eli says
What kind of beans do you use in your Chili?
Megan says
Wow, this is amazing and especially when you’re on a time crunch and can’t go to the store.
Raymond Kircher says
Oak Ridge, TN Walmart has this service started up very well. The no receipt transaction is problematic for couponians, though most WalMart and Great Value products don’t have coupons. A really great one-day service that helps me mostly with time. If they can keep it in that one hour time slot, a $200 food order is done quicker than going inside. I’m still not trusting of many people to choose expiration dated items. Most people just do not look at the date, including employees.
Dee says
I’ve used this service in CT now since August and I’ve had three issues so far, but not enough to stop me from using it once per week (sometimes twice) Issues were : expired bread, strawberries that were not fresh and charged for 4 avocados and received one. Customer service immediately refunded me for the items and the mgr that handles groceries was extremely apologetic and even included some freebies to keep me coming back. The people associated with the groceries are beyond friendly and professional. I highly recommend this service to others!
Gil says
In the Hialeah, FL Walmart they started the grocery pickup service last year. First few times the service was impeccable. I used to get a notification at 7:30 am when my order was ready although my window was 8-9. Order was brought to my car 2-3 minutes after I arrived at the parking lot. This was really convenient because I could be done with my shopping shortly after 8am. However, the last two times I have used them I have experienced 15-20 minute wait time once I arrive at the store. Never mind that I actually check in via the Grocery app once I am on my way. Still more convenient, but not by much.
Pye says
I gave it a whirl and found it to be way more trouble than it is worth. In the first place, the WM grocery shopping site has NO CONNECTION to my WM lists. And they provide no “lists” inside the grocery side of the site. You only have the cart. That means I have to look every freakin’ item up every single time I want to place an order.
Then there are he many reports of problems with the service, including missing items for which you are charged anyway, and produce that has gone or is going bad. There is no connection between their customer service and wherever they are keeping your actual order. They do not check credit card information until hours after you place the order, so if you transpose a couple of digits or make some other mistake, they will cancel your order – unless you call customer service and fix the problem. Then the CS person is SUPPOSED to manually uncancel your order, but they often forget or otherwise fail at this task.
The interface is badly designed to start with and the lack of ability to access your regular WalMart lists (and failure to provide the list function inside the grocery side of the site) makes it far too much trouble. Won’t be using it, which means I will continue to give WM a pass when I’m grocery shopping (which I’ve already been doing for over a decade anyway). Way to screw up the one thing that might have gotten me to OCCASIONALLY shop there again.
Trish says
I really wanted to try this, but when I try to schedule my pickup, I would have to wait nearly 4 days until only a semi convenient time slot were available. Unacceptable and completely defeats the purpose.
JAN WILLIAMS says
Maybe someone can answer this question for me, please. I’m trying to find out if my store, the
Dallas Supercenter #3406
15220 Montfort Rd, DALLAS, TX 75248
accepts EBT cards at this time? I’ve tried to contact customer service at the store as well customer service through Walmart Corporate. Hopefully someone will have the answer for me. Thanks!
Melissa says
I just placed my first order on Saturday for p/u today. 10 mins before p/u my order was cancelled due to the system being down so that was super frustrating. I thought this online shopping expereince might be an answer to my time crunch delima but that notification time frame is too undependable. I don’t understand why I wasn’t informed earlier so I could make other arrangements. Unfortunately, I only received an apology and no option for resolution when I called customer service. My advice- have a back up plan just in case. Maybe Amazon will figure out how to deliver everything…soon!
Marieke Giasson says
I haven’t tried it yet. I’m still reading reviews, but I wanted to correct you on one detail I have discovered. Most stores do NOT accept EBT for grocery pick up. They list the stores that DO on this website: https://wmt-grocery.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1848/kw/ebt
Katie says
This is good to know!
JAN WILLIAMS says
Neither of my usual Dallas/Plano TX Superstores are on this list… so I wonder how often they update the list? Is this updated daily or on another scheduled time frame? Thanks for your help!
Jenn says
How does this work with cold and/or frozen items. Since the time frame is an hour block, do they keep the items in a cooler?
Katie says
Yes, I believe so! My items are always cold
Patti Burgess says
I was told that theu wait until three minutes before arrival to pull the cold items.
James says
Many of the people who work at my local wal-mart are great and act as they might if it were their own business. Regrettably, the majority of the employees are not this way. Assuming all WM stores are like this, If the person who pulls your order doesn’t give a rip, of course your order is going to be jacked up.
The nice thing about having this type of employee pull your order is that they are probably not going to go out of their way to find an out of date or damaged product to give to you – too much effort. Instead, you’ll have missing items, wrong items, etc.
Personally, I love the convenience because the one thing in life we all need more of is time and this helps me get a little of it back.
My first order included an out of date item but no issues since then.
Erin says
I’m glad I read this before I used the service. I also use Ibotta, along with Flipp and Chekout 51. I typically go thru all of my rebate apps prior to shopping so I know what rebates are available. If there are not any rebates available for anything on my list, which would be extremely rare, I would probably use the service as I have a 6 year old and a 3 month old. I did get some very useful information from this article and the comments. It’s nice to know about the substitutions. I did some price comparison from the app to receipts I have saved in savings catcher, and the prices matched, so I do not see that being an issue. Hopefully I will get to use the service and will be able to share my experience. Thank you for this information! ?
New Walmart Shopper says
Walmart grocery pickup is insanely easy. I placed an order for more than $50 and the WOWFRESH coupon worked for me. I checked in with the app when I left my house and my shopper was standing at the pickup spot with my order when I arrived. Being my first time he reviewed how the program works including the guarantee on everything. If you are unhappy, missing items or whatever the issue might be just call and they will fix it.
As someone noted, there are times you may want to shop in store to browse, looks for deals etc which obviously you can still do. Most of the time for me it’s the same items I need each week or two which I will use this service for.
Lee Ann says
I have been waiting for our Walmart to get the service. We don’t have it yet. But a competing grocery store in town has it, and I have come to rely on it. My kids are able to use the app to load the grocery listen for me. And schedule a time so I can pick it up on my way home from work. Groceries services rock! I can’t wait to try Walmart’s service When it comes to our town
Katie says
It is awesome!!
j smith says
The service is great until the Walmart grocery server went down causing all ordered groceries to be cancelled, leaving you with having to go into the store to actually shop for grocery, but the worst part was now the money you spent (Walmart put a hold on) online for your order is held up so if you don’t have the extra money to re-buy your groceries again your screwed!!. it has been 3 complete days since this happened, and the temporary hold they put on my credit/debit card for the amount of groceries purchased has not been released back to my checking account yet, I have called both Walmart customer service & my bank and each blame the other, I was told by 7 days the hold for the $179.00 would be released. I even called Walmart Corporate headquarters and was spoken to like a dog by the person that answered the phone, since this experience I will NEVER shop in another Walmart! buyer beware
Katie says
Wow! I’m sorry to hear that!
J smith says
Day 5 I’m still waiting for my money to be returned to me
Kari says
I used it for the first time today and it was great. However after realizing you don’t receive an actual receipt I was disappointed. I matched items I needed to Ibotta and now I can’t redeem. customer service was not helpful the gentleman just kept saying you can still use savings catcher. I get a lot more money back from Ibotta then I ever get from the savings catcher. I would probably use it is I didn’t have any Ibotta rebates, but normally I have several.
Katie says
This is something I hate as well! I wish they’d give an actual receipt, because I use it for Ibotta as well. For that reason alone, I’ve started using our King Soopers/Kroger pick up service more.
Christina G. says
This is great if you have children or have mobility issues, but beware–I tried it this weekend and they forgot $16.97 worth of toilet paper. They did refund the money (it actually takes 3-5 days for the bank to receive refunds they said), but I still don’t have toilet paper. Also, I track prices very carefully, and the bread was 10 cents more per loaf through this service. It’s a lifesaver if you’ve got young children with the case of the gimmes in the grocery store, but do know they WILL screw up your order from time and time and they will probably sneak in higher prices on some items.
Katie says
Sorry to hear about this experience!
Mary says
I’m an empty-nester. I would have enjoyed this 20 years ago! Ha!! Now, I actually enjoy my time at Walmart, browsing, walking slowly, doing comparison, and always checking on the clearance items. 🙂
Katie says
I can’t blame you! When I’m not with my kids at the store, I feel the same way 🙂
SNEHA AKULA says
I love it too…! Also I wish they had more time to change the order but that is just my lazy ass not doing shopping properly and i have to go in store to pickup just one item left out.. nevertheless its amazing!
Ebony Devezin says
Best thing ever for my busy schedule. I have it setup that my husband and son can add what they want as well. Thank you Walmart
Pat Menez says
How do they handle frozen items such as Ice Cream, so it doesn’t thaw?
Katie says
They have them in a freezer or fridge until you come to get them 🙂
Shields says
Tried it for the first time today. I only bought a few items to test it out. I was very impressed with how quick the process was. I used the app to let them know I was on my way.
I’m on the site again to try a full shopping list. It’s so nice to just see all the options laid out. Sometimes in the store it’s hard to really compare prices and pick the best option for you with all the noise and random products around you. This really does save time and money. I may never step foot in a Walmart again haha
Katie says
I totally agree with you! I save a lot of money doing it because I’m such a big impulse buyer!
Anne says
I regularly use this service and have only gone into the store probably 4 or 5 times over the last year (versus weekly trips). It’s a lovely time saver, the staff are friendly, what’s not to love?
My only “complaint” is that sometimes their substitutions aren’t great. For example–a few times I’ve ordered diet ginger ale and they were out and so they gave me regular ginger ale. Other subs have been fine. I just try to remember to check the ‘no subs’ box on the items that have to be exact.
Theresa Harris says
Love this ,I have MS so shopping is not in the cards anymore .
They always do a great job , they are kind and have told us
love their job.
We always feel bad they don’t allow tipping because Our
Store has an amazing staff who deserve it that’s for sure.
Katie says
I’m glad it’s been so helpful for you! I know several people with MS, so I know how it can make things like grocery shopping harder.
Laurie says
I tried this for the first time yesterday and I absolutely loved it! My only question is where did you find the accept substitutions check box on the form? I didn’t see this so they substituted three things. Two of which I wanted and one I didn’t. I think I would accept substitutions in the future because they took off the one thing I didn’t want and one of the things they substituted gave me was a full size watermelon that was worth twice the price of the personal size one I ordered.
Katie says
I think it’s right before you press submit! It’s kind of a small box.
Sue Marie Ramsey says
I ordered Pancake Mix, to receive one that was outdated by a week. I had no way to take it back. I have no transportation and was upset to see an outdated box/
Katie says
Wow! That is disappointed. Make sure you call their customer service and demand a credit to your account.
Tanesha P says
Used the service for the first time yesterday and we’ve already used it again today..it’s a life saver! Everything has been equal to or less than the price posted. They were out of our 20 lb bag of dog food so the substituted a 50lb bag of the same brand for no additional cost!! I got a 50lb of dog food for $12.00! ?
Katie says
That’s amazing!!
Betsy Snow says
I could be wrong, but I think those that area complaining that prices are significantly higher are on the wrong website. You must go to grocery.walmart.com not walmart.com or use the Walmart Grocery app (it’s an orange icon- through Google Play at least) not the Walmart app (blue icon). When I ran in the store yesterday, I actually discovered that prices can be lower through Walmart grocery pickup; I had checked the price of milk on the app before I went in (trying to find out pricewise whether to run in Walmart on way home or Aldi), and it was $2.50. To my surprise, it was $2.98 in the store!
Katie says
This is what I suspect as well.
Clifton Taylor says
After reading your article everthing looked great, so I immediately went and set up an account. The first item I searched for was a ½ gal of 2% milk. It was double the price. I didn’t even bother looking at the rest. I’ll be doing my shopping in person.
Katie says
I would definitely contact your local Walmart and ask about the discrepancy. As I’ve started with others, I personally haven’t had this issue, so I’m not sure what’s going on. You may also look into ClickList if you have a Kroger affiliated store. I actually am liking that service more because you can use coupons.
Jessica says
I noticed after shopping on the app for pickup and then in the store that many of the things we buy are a bit more expensive. 20 cents here and 40 cents there adds up when you are on a budget.
Karen Reidy says
I work in on line grocery at my store. We are busy busy busy every day!! Altho this is not made for everyone!! Nothing and no one is perfect and if you have an open mind going in….no problems. We show the customer their fresh fruits and veggies when we dispense their order. It takes no longer then someone doing it in the store. The difference is instead of you dealing with tons of people you get to sit in your nice warm car as we show it to you. Anything that is not up to your standards can easily be removed.
Katie says
Thanks for you input – I really appreciate it! I think you all do a great job 🙂
Kelli says
I use this service ALL THE TIME I love it!!!! Not only are the prices the same for me but I spend LESS because I can meal plan. More easily and get everything I need with no impulse buys AND stick eating healthy plus I work 50-60 hours a week along with being the single mom of 3 kids one of which is a toddler that does NOT shop well
Katie says
This is exactly how I feel! I spend 30-50% less when I do grocery pickup!
Kerry says
I enjoy the service, I live where plastic bags are banned, so in-store your charged for bags, however with the grocery pickup you are not. My son works as a personal shopper, and the prices are the same as in store through the grocery app. They are also supposed to pick through the veggies and fruit to make sure you get good product. If they don’t simply call and they will refund that item. Also it’s true if they are out of the smaller size or store brand you are upgraded if you check the allow substitutions. No more lines, kids asking for things and easily saves an hour at the store.
Katie says
Agreed! Thanks for your thoughts!
WalmartOne says
I would have easily paid 30% more (can of refried beans was 1.48 compared to 2.08, for example). This is something WalMart needs to fix because this sure seems like they are scamming people a bit….
Katie says
Very unfortunate!
Jonthan says
Don’t use the online grocery pickup for Walmart. We did and the fruits and veggies they pick out are horrible. We tried several times and we always had to return or throw out the food. I think it’s just their way of using up stuff that would generally get thrown out.
Katie says
Sorry to hear about your experience! I don’t say I would tell everyone they shouldn’t use it though. We use it weekly and have yet to have a bad experience. It definitely will vary depending on your location.
WM1 says
I placed 2 orders today and I’m going to use it all the time. Impressed
Laura says
I just checked several items on my shopping list today and every single one was at least $0.50 more expensive online – somethings were $2-3 more expensive! Free service my foot!
Katie says
So strange! I check mine carefully every time, and nothing is ever inflated. Sorry you have had that experience!
CJ says
My neighbor used the refer a friend $10 off referral service, so I tried out the Walmart online service but was not impressed. I can see the benefit if you have small kids or have physical disabilities. First, the $10 discount code did not work (I would have had to use it in the same browser as the one using for shopping). I still got $10 off but not with the code I was emailed. When I got to the store, I called the number on the pick-up sign and got a recorded message, not a person. It was unclear to me what to do. I was within the pick-up time window…I tried calling again but same thing. Eventually someone saw me and send someone out. I did not realize how the “substitution” feature worked and found out that there were LOTS of substitutions. It seemed more work going through those than if I had picked out the stuff myself. I thought the receipt would be emailed but it did not. I also did not get a printed receipt. Overall it seemed more of a hassle to me than just running in the store to grab the items.
Katie says
Hi! Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s so frustrating that the experience isn’t consistent across the board. I have had a lot of luck with ours – I rarely get a substitution, and the people come out right away (I use the check in feature on the app). My code didn’t work once, and I called them and they credited me. I’m sorry your experience wasn’t great though. What a bummer!
linn says
You forgot the part where they just started charging more than twice as much for many items than thry cost in store. My folgers french vanilla is 5.24 but if i order it online its over $12
Katie says
I haven’t noticed that with my store – and I just made an order yesterday. Everything was exactly the same price that I would expect in the store. So sorry! Are you sure that you were going to the Grocery.walmart.com? I just searched for folgers french vanilla, and it is $5.12 from my store. However, if you just go to walmart.com, it is over $12. The grocery.walmart.com should have the exact same price as your local store.
Willie says
YEP, I was just shopping on Walmart.com and it showed prices WAY higher than grocery.walmart.com !!! Even though they both showed pickup for my local WM in Arkansas. That is pretty crazy! If i hadn’t really been paying attention, I would have easily paid 30% more (can of refried beans was 1.48 compared to 2.08, for example). This is something WalMart needs to fix because this sure seems like they are scamming people a bit….
Katie says
That is definitely not good! I would contact Walmart Grocery ASAP as well as your local store. I have had to call their customer support a few times, and they are very helpful.
Lissy Villabona says
Walmart just implemented a new system for Walmart.com (not Grocery, just regular online orders) where they charge you MORE if you order online for shipment but it says in the item description that you can pay LESS if you go get it from the store. It is the most RIDICULOUS thing I have ever heard of! My aunt is homebound and used walmart.com to do a lot of her shopping and now on fixed income, she would have to pay double and sometimes triple what she used to pay if she continued to have her items delivered to her home. Here’s an idea of what I mean: https://www.walmart.com/ip/SoftSheen-Carson-Dark-and-Lovely-Healthy-Gloss-5-Shea-Moisture-No-Lye-Relaxer-Regular/10313619 $1.36 more to get it online than to buy it in the store and there are many more like it. The article I read said they are increasing prices on over 10,000 online items!
Marjorie Hartman says
I ordered groceries online from Walmart for the first time today. Upon arriving at the store at my scheduled pick up time, I was surprised to find that I needed to call the store to let them know I was there as the web site did not mention this was one of the steps in the process. Luckily, I had brought my phone with me. I called the number but it went to voice mail. I left a message stating that I was there to pick up an order and gave them the parking slot number. Five minutes went by and I tried calling again, only to have the call go to voicemail again. I went into the store and asked several associates for assistance but they said they could not help me and suggested I go to the customer service counter. Customer service called the grocery area and put me on the line. I gave the associate the name for the order and was placed on hold for 4 – 5 minutes. When the associate came back on the line, she asked me again for the order name. By now, I was frustrated and asked to speak to a manager. It took 20 more minutes for me to get my grocery order. Never again!
lavonda locke says
I used this service and it’s excellent. I think it will help me with my impulse buying. I also love the idea of shopping online during my lunch break at work and then picking everything up on the way home. Less time in the store and grabbing fast food for dinner. I have told all my friends and family to sign up. Loved getting 10.00 off my first purchase too.
Joanna says
The problem i had the first time was the forgot four bags of snacks and one box of frozen meal and replaced the wrong protein bar for me. And i had to call and pick up again. Plus they grabbed me tje loaf of bread which is expired in two days.
Katie says
That is definitely not good! I hope that they will take your complaints seriously.
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
I just placed our second order for this today! I’m going to be using it all the time now that our third is here. No way am I going into the store with three under four!!!
Carol says
Guess I won’t be using this great service after all. The store nearest my home is not on my way home from work. The walmart grocery website won’t let me pick the store closest to work, only from my home store and two others I’m never near at all.
Katie says
I’m sorry to hear that!