How does Walmart pickup work? This honest review has everything you need to know, with pros, cons, and tips for the best experience possible.
I’ve spent a lot of time in grocery stores, trying to find good deals on real food so my family and I can eat well on a budget.
I’ve been able to share my shopping experiences from all my favorite stores: ALDI, Trader Joe’s, Lidl, and Sprouts Farmers Market, as well as help my readers decide whether a Costco membership is worth it or not.
Recently, though, grocery shopping online has become popular, so I’m here to share with you my personal experience and honest review of Walmart pickup!
HOW DOES WALMART PICKUP WORK?
Walmart curbside pickup is a service that many, but not all, Walmart locations offer. To see if your local Walmart store offers grocery pickup, click here.
The process for Walmart grocery pickup is fairly straightforward:
Step 1: You place your order online, on Walmart’s website or the mobile app, and choose a date and pickup time slot. Make sure you have your preferred location selected. You should get a confirmation email once the order is accepted.
Step 2: Walmart will send notification by email or text message with any issues concerning your order, like substitutions or out of stock items.
Step 3: Walmart will email you and send you a text message when your Walmart pickup order is ready.
Step 4: You tell Walmart you’re on the way, via their mobile app.
Step 5: When you arrive, check-in on the mobile app to tell them which pickup spot you’re located in and the color of your car.
Step 6: An employee brings your groceries out to you and loads them in your trunk. If there were any substitutions or out-of-stock items, they discuss this with you before they load the groceries.
Step 7: You sign their device to acknowledge receiving the groceries and you’re done!
The prices for everything are online and you get an idea of how much your total will be, but if they’re adjusted for weight – as in the case of produce – you’re charged or refunded the difference when you sign your name.
WALMART PICKUP PROS
I confess – I’m a picky shopper. You don’t learn how to feed your family real food on a small budget by having a laid-back attitude when it comes to the food you buy and the money you spend!
However, I’ve had a really good experience with Walmart pickup so far! Here’s what they’ve done well:
- Most items are in stock (pandemic shortages excluded…because, let’s face it, NOBODY had toilet paper!).
- Acceptable substitutions. When an item is out of stock, I receive substitutions that are pretty close to the original.
- Correct orders. Not once has my order been wrong or an item been left out, which, honestly, is a little better than my own shopping track record!
- Free pickup on orders of $35 or more.
- No hidden fees or shopping charges. What you see is what you get. That means it doesn’t affect your grocery budget, and I can certify Walmart pickup as Grocery Budget Bootcamp-approved!
- They remember purchase history. This makes it easy to update and create new orders based on your standard shopping lists.
- You can order non-grocery items. Walmart now has a combined app for all of its products, so it’s easy to pick up extra household items or pet supplies along with your groceries. Just be sure to note them separately from your grocery budget as you track your spending!
- You don’t have to get out of the car. Whether you have toddlers strapped in the back or you haven’t made it out of your yoga pants today, this convenience makes Walmart pick up appealing.
WALMART PICK UP CONS
- Sometimes they’re out of stock of something I need. Prepare to make a quick stop at your local favorites, like Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, or Aldi mid-week to cover your bases if you can’t find a workable substitute.
- You can’t pick the specific produce you want. Sometimes I want wrinkly jalapenos or a perfectly ripened avocado for a spicy vegetarian chili or Tex-Mex Migas this week. Sometimes I want a smooth jalapeno for a pizza topping on Friday. With Walmart pick up, you don’t get to touch and feel the produce to ensure it’s exactly what you want.
- You can’t find markdowns or clearance items. This is a big deal, because this is largely how we were able to get our grocery budget as low as it is. Most markdowns are only available in the store.
HOW TO MAKE WALMART CURBSIDE PICKUP WORK FOR YOU
- Plan meals ahead and make your list. This way, you know exactly what you need, and you won’t buy extras or leave crucial ingredients out.
- Order the day or night before. It’s difficult to get same-day pickup, so plan ahead.
- Leave notes on your order if you want something specific produce-wise; slightly green bananas or ripe avocados, for instance. You’re more likely to be happy with your order.
- Download the app when you make your first order so you can easily check in for your pickup.
- Choose an early morning time, preferably later in the week when the store has been restocked following the busy weekend, for less store traffic and more in-stock items.
- Edit your orders before midnight. Forget something? No problem! Just edit your order before the clock strikes!
- Tell them you’re on your way via the app. That way, your order will be ready to go when you get there.
- Plan to go into the store now and then to search for good deals to stretch your budget.
- Stock up on pantry staples like coffee, canned goods, and pasta, and take advantage of the everyday low prices on these items.
Bottom line: I shop Walmart pickup at least twice a month, if not more often. I buy a lot of our pantry staples there, like dry beans, canned coconut milk, frozen corn, and decaf tea.
There are also a handful of things that we eat every single week – like bananas, oranges, spinach, and spring mix – that I buy from there as well. Knowing that Walmart supercenter has the best price in town for these types of things, using Walmart curbside pickup is super convenient.
WALMART PICKUP FAQS
How does Walmart pickup work?
Using the Walmart app or website, you can place your order, schedule a time for pickup, and have your order delivered curbside and loaded into your car at the designated time.
Is Walmart pick up good?
Overall, yes! I’ve never had an item missed on my list, and when there are unavailable items, a substitution is made. The prices are the same in-store or through the app, so my budget stays on track, and it is convenient! Follow the tips above to make sure you have the best experience possible!
Is Walmart pickup always free?
Walmart pickup is free on all orders of $35 or more otherwise there is a pickup fee.
What is the latest Walmart pickup?
At most locations, Walmart pickup runs from 7AM to 11PM. Check with your local store for the most accurate pickup times.
What happens if you miss your Walmart pick up time?
Generally, you have until the end of the day to pick up your order before it is canceled. Check with your local store for their specific policies.
MORE SHOPPING OPTIONS
Not a Walmart fan? Check out these other Shopping Guides!
- Which Is Cheaper, Costco or ALDI?
- Which Is Cheaper, Walmart or ALDI?
- Ultimate Guide to Shopping at Trader Joe’s
- Ultimate Guide to Shopping at ALDI
- 9 Practical Ways to Save Money at Whole Foods
I haven’t tried Walmart’s grocery pick-up since there are so few things I buy there… though there are a few staples I can only get there (their GV Pineapple Peach Salsa is awesome!). The other issue is that they seem to have a very high rate of dented cans for a few of the items I buy. I did order some of the cans online and it came in multiple shipments and most cans were dented – and it wasn’t from the shipping! I’ve had the same problem with Target (both curbside pickup and shipped – I even had the replacement order damaged). Both companies have been good about crediting me (Target just gives me a credit, with Walmart I had to ship the damage product back to them).
Thank you Walmart for filling my long grocery list, bringing it to my car and even sorting my frozen item into my cool bags. Thanks to Laura, who did my shopping and delivery. My fresh produce items were well chosen and top notch. The one item that was substituted turned out to be even better than what I had ordered. What a blessing this will be for me. I am so thankful to have such a service. I will be 90 years old in a few weeks and I have slowed done quite a bit lately. I worry about being in the stores around people who are not careful. This service is wonderful for people like me and will be a life saver for many.
If large order, frozen food delivery from local Walmart received half thawed or worse which occurred more than once in the past year. This may be better with newer Walmart stores perhaps with fridge lockers, but ask your local store if they have these or not if order a lot of frozen food. Another downside, unlike other online grocers have used, Walmart does not sort your food by category in your online cart nor on your order invoice. If you have an order with a few dozen items or more, this is a time waster when updating pending orders – Did I or do I need to add or change product X? – and checking the order after delivery or pickup going through several pages of the invoice confirming each item was received (if you have used any online grocery service enough, occasional mistakes are made).
I LOVE Walmart pickup. Just today I ordered online and wanted to pickup in a different city, but when I finished my list, I noticed it had reverted BACK to my normal city for pickup. I called and was referred to Gustsmo (not sure that is the correct spelling of his name), but he was EVER SO HELPFUL. He managed to find my long list, get the Walmart Store number in Gun Barrel City and complete my whole checkout for me with pickup there for Monday. Believe me, he saved my day and I am so appreciative of his understanding of my problem and how courteous he was and efficient! Give that man a raise!!
Billie Dickson
[email protected]
Allen, TX
I love the service during this covid 19 stuff but I honestly can’t wait to be able to do my own shopping again. The positive is that it’s convenient and they do a great job of picking out the produce which I worried about. The prices are the same. The negatives, I hate having to do a 30$ minimum order when I only need a couple of things. It’s hard getting a time right now without waiting several days.
There are so many items not available for pickup that are actually in the store and I sure don’t understand that at all. Including lean ground meat. For the past 6 weeks that I didn’t go in the store they have not had lean ground beef. Only the stuff that was super high in fat. Almost 30%. They also haven’t had sugar free cookies or some of the store brand cereals available for pickup. The other day they told me 5 items were out of stock. Since I needed the meat as I was almost out, I used a mask and gloves and went inside. They did have lean ground meat, they did have milk, tomatoes, and the other 2 items on my list that they said they were out of stock on. If they are going to do this they really need to make sure that everything in the grocery section is available to order for pickup. There was a lot of tomatoes as I expected. I’m not sure why they said they were out of stock on them, same with the milk. So although this is a very nice service personally I’ll go back to doing my own shopping once it’s safe to do so.
During this Covid 19 time it’s the only way I can shop for what I need. The employees that come out are always extremely friendly and it’s almost always quick and easy. The biggest issue I have with their service is the fact that there are so many items they don’t put online for you to buy including lean ground beef for instance. They also limit me to 2 items on most things which if you have a large family wouldn’t be good. They say they are out of stock when I go to pick up on several things like frozen broccoli. I haven’t been able to purchase it once in the past 3 weeks I’ve been using the service. I hate having to do a minimum order when I only need milk or cereal. They will substitute some things but then others for some reason they don’t. I ordered tomatoes on the vine the other day. Instead of substituting another type of tomato they just said out of stock. I can’t believe they didn’t have any tomatoes left in the store. Why would they not have just given me a different one. I look forward to going back to going in and buying my own groceries and picking what I want but in the meantime, they do a good job for the most part.
Used this for 1st and last time. Ordered 10 cans of different sauces 8 out of the 10 cans were dented. When I called I was told thats what they do. 4 items were out of stock. Pretty much a big disapointment.
I have been pleased with Walmart pickup. When I need something, I add it to my app which helps me to remember what I need. If I go into the store, I use the app as a shopping list. The produce that I have gotten has always been fresh. I do not select substitutions to make sure of what I am getting. There may be one or two items not in stock. Using the app helps me to compare prices because it usually gives me a price per ounce. I have learned not to pickup at 5:00 or 6:00 pm, too much of a wait.
I have been forgetting to get a light bulb for my oven. I did a search on the app tonight. Could not believe that it was listed.
I guess to each their own on ordering online and letting a Walmart person shop for them. I would be reluctant to trust someone else to pick out my produce or meats. Dry goods and frozen stuff probably OK, but I would question if they would check dates, or slip in damaged goods or old stock. I find it interesting that Walmart gladly pays people to run around shopping for online shoppers. But can’t staff the checkout lanes with cashiers? Years ago back before self check out, or online shopping. Walmart stocked at night primarily, they have plenty of open check out lanes and things worked really smoothly. Today, you have to shop online and give a Walmart associate time to pick up your items and deliver them to your vehicle. Seems like way more work and yet service in general have regressed not improved.
Hi John! I don’t buy my meat from Walmart and usually produce that doesn’t need to be inspected (i.e. bananas, tub of spinach, etc.) Usually my orders are pantry staples. 🙂
I have shopped the Walmart delivery and pickup a lot. Be careful. If items are out of stock and you don’t have them substitutefor the item,, they do not reduce how much you pay. Walmart says it will remimburse cusotmers in 5-7 working days, but of the 20 + times they have done this to me, they have only actually rembursed me one time. So I might order $20.00 worth of organic chicken for my freezer, but they don’t have it in stock, I do not get the 20 dollars back. It has happened frequently and my adult kids who live in a differrent town say it happens to them as well. It is convenient, but I would use my visa and keep/print recipts tofight the charges if this happens o you. .
They hit my credit card so much with corrections I couldn’t tell what i owed and if it was right or not due to last minute unavailable items. Stayed on the phone an hour going line by line with the credit card company. Will never order online from Walmart again! Crazy! Plus I noticed third party vendors price gouge 2 to 4 times the price.
No. I have ordered online but got ripped off. I ordered 3 boxes of vinyl gloves and they substituted cheap plastic gloves in my order I could buy for $1 at Dollar Tree. I wasted $36 on vinyl gloves. No way to return them and no manager followed up after I sent in my evaluation. I go to Market District where the selection is wonderful, service excellent and they don’t cut corners and rip off their customers. Glad some are getting good service at Walmart.
I am sorry to hear that! They should not have done that.
I ordered shortly after midnight for a 5-6 P.M. pick up. I arrived at 6:15 and called to say I was there. 15 minutes later someone came out to say the grocery order wasn’t ready yet. At 6:45 I told the young man talking to different customers waiting in line for their pick up that I had to leave & to cancel my order. As soon as I got out of the parking lot I got a phone message saying my grocery order was ready. I went back, called again. No response. I waited for another 15 minutes and came home. I’ll likely spend days trying to get a credit for the grocery’s I didn’t get. My order had four substitutes which I could not have used so I would have had to go back again to return it. Never again!
I’m sorry you had such a rough first experience Jan. Did you contact Walmart customer service?
The prices Walmart charges for pickup are 25% to 100% more expensive than going in to the store and getting it yourself. You can check this for yourself by looking up the 4 lbs Jar of Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter. In store it is under $4, pickup is almost $6. It use to be higher but they have lowered it. Walmart doesn’t charge a fee they just mark up the product online more than in the store. If you have money to burn go for it.
I didn’t see this Shane! I’ll have to compare prices the next time I’m in the store. Thanks for sharing this!
I just started using this service a couple of months ago and I was really loving it. It was saving me time and money and I honestly loath shopping in the store, especially when it’s busy. I place an order about once a week and average 1-2 subs per order (which I’m usually very happy with). However, the last couple of weeks of orders have had an unusual amount of out of out of stock items. These items are very common grocery items. I had 2 out of stock items on one order and 5 out of stock items on my last order. FIVE. I know most of these items could have easily been substituted with something else but I imagine they mark it as out of stock to save themselves money. For me, it defeats the purpose of saving me time and money when I have to hit a second store to buy the items they didn’t provide.
I think it might depend on the day of the week you pick up your order, Tracy. I do pickup on Mondays, which right after the weekend, can often mean items not back in the stock yet. No service is perfect!
Great Value 64 oz creamy peanut butter $4.34 online for my location.
Hi Tiffany, I use the Walmart pick-up all the time and it saves me a ton of money. I’m an impulse buyer and shopping online let’s me stay on budget. I’ve been doing this for months and I’ve saved about $100 a month. I also heard that Aldi delivers your groceries to your home. Haven’t tried it but that’s another idea to save money and staying on budget.
Hi Rosa! I’m so glad Walmart pickup is helping you save money! ALDI delivers via InstaCart, which both raises prices and charges a fee. It might still work out though, depending on where you live!
I tried to use pick up for the first time today, not very pleased. Had ordered for Thanksgiving meal; out of Turkey would not substitute nor was I notified until an hour before pick up! I cancelled whole order but it took some time to get that accomplished.
I am so sorry to hear that Shirley! The best thing to do when a service is unpleasing is to contact the company or leave a polite review on what they could improve.
I tired to use Walmart pickup for the first time today I placed my order around 1:30 and there was no pick time available not until the next day what’s up with that?!?
That’s pretty normal Rebecca. The next pick-up time is usually 8 hours away, minimum. You just have to plan for that in your own planning. When I place my orders, I plan on picking them up the next day.
Tiffany,
Long time reader from California 😉 just wondering if you still stick to the $350 a month now that eating has changed and kids are older ?
I use this service with Walmart a lot more than I use it with Kroger. I like both however I am more tempted to spend more at Walmart than Kroger since they have things other than groceries. I haven’t had any issues with either service. The service with Kroger I use it mostly when the Click List coupons are really great and stuff we would use. Like chicken for $1.49 a pound. I don’t use the Walmart service for produce. I am partial to Kroger’s produce. It is great that they offer these services and I can stop by either store on the way home from work. That makes shopping easier so my weekend isn’t tied up with grocery shopping.
Not all Walmarts offer this service Ours doesn’t.
I know, what a bummer!
Ours offers it but it’s basically become useless because there’s so many reservations you can’t get in. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are already all booked up and even next Friday as well which is as far advanced as the app allows you.
Where I live, a small rural area, they do not stock a lot of things on the shelves that the big city Walmarts do. But they obviously do have them, just not on the shelf. For instance, they do not have Iberia Sunflower/Olive oil on the shelf, but if I order it, I can pick it up that afternoon. Same thing with a lot of organic goods like organic licorice. One of the nice things about living in this rural area is that I can place my order and it will be ready that afternoon.
So at this point, I usually only order these things and then finish my shopping on my own. I have also found though, that for me living where I do, two day shipping almost always turns out as one day shipping. And I love the new packaging. I order really big bags of dry pet food and it now comes in a tyvek bag. So now I can leave it outside and even if it rains I don’t have to worry.
I was having continuous problems with Amazon and their delivery trucks (UPS and Ontrac). This is why I started using Walmart (they use FedEx). Now I rarely order anything from Amazon and more and more Walmart is adding third party businesses and I have had really great experiences with them also.
THere is no way I’m using their 3rd party businesses as they price gouge two to four times the price! I really wanted to used Walmart online shopping and parking lot pickup but they had so many cancellations of items in stock and so many adjustments to my credit card that I gave up. Plus they damaged 50% of my order, bent cans, busted open macaroni boxes spilling the contents everywhere, leaking laundry soap all over my car. i wrote the corporate CEO and got back a letter at how great they are and they did t mention my complaint. Plus the website often tell someone me my item is available at a store out of state as if I’m really going to drive there! Plus it may be robbing my town of local sales tax thus gutting local infrastructure. No thanks! I now only shop local from local family owned businesses.
I have been using the service every week for the past month or two. I resisted my friend’s recommendation for some time because I am one of the few that like to grocery shop. However she convinced me how valuable my time is with by busy job and family. Now, I am hooked!
I add things to my online list all week as I run out or as I plan the upcoming week. Then at the end of the week, I just schedule the pickup. I have benefited from the substitutions many times when they give me a bigger size because they are out of something. They charge for the one you ordered, even if the substitute costs more. So when they substitute a generic item I ordered for a name brand, I’m okay with that. There is also the option to reject a substitute when they bring it out, or make something “not substitutable”. Also I save by not picking up spontaneous things while in the store. The app also list price per unit so I can make the most economical size selections. Also important to note, not only is the service free, but the employees are not allowed to accept tips. I am pro-tipping, but I mention this to show that there really are no hidden costs. The ONLY negative I have (besides not being able to pick your own produce and meat) is that the service isn’t compatible with their Savings Catcher. 🙁
I’ve used it a few times and like it. Especially when it’s super hot outside and I don’t have to get out 🙂 the first time, I was confused about the produce. It had the price per pound listed and when you click on the item it asks for a quantity, which I assumed meant how many pounds do I want. Well, for bananas I put 3 on the quantity, thinking I would get 3 pounds of bananas. I got 3 bananas! Lesson learned! Also, I was told by the manager that you can order pretty much anything in the store except for alcohol, tobacco, or ammunition.
Thanks for the post, it was helpful! I had wondered about how produce worked with this service so it’s nice to know you can specify what you’re looking for. Only thing I would add is if you already shop at Sprouts I always prefer to buy dried beans (and rice and spices) from their bulk section, which they frequently have weekly sales for.
Thanks to Linda!
Beach
I actually have groceries delivered to my home from Walmart & been very happy with this service. If you can, please review this as well. It’s such a timesaver for me. Thank you .
Hey Lisa, here is a link to another article about Walmart. https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/cheaper-walmart-aldi/
It is not exactly what you discussed but it does give another point of view.
I liked the idea of home delivery for health reasons. Joined Walmart+, placed an order and was e-mailed when it would arrive. I knew I was going to pay a tip, a plastic bag fee, tax etc and the yearly Plus fee. The order never arrived. I called and e-mailed next day, was told the driver lied to his manager and said he delivered the order, manager somehow checked, discovered the lie, said my full order would arrive within two hours, never did. Instead received another e-mail saying my order had been cancelled. I called another store to have my order sent from them and they had no times available. I called my store again and the manager hung up on me. I cancelled my membership. Five hours later a car pulled up to the house with two Asian men dropping off about a third of my original order. Told them it was cancelled and I was no longer a member. They jumped into the car and quickly drove off. I called customer service again and they were as confused as I was but assured me all costs are negated…….but I should continue checking my credit card company statement just in case. Would you join a plan, a store or any group where there is no quality control? One hand does not know what the other is doing. They use outside contractors for deliverers. These people are not Walmart employees. The deliverers can rumage through your order, remove things etc and you do not have any recourse except to talk to the store manager who may or may not have hung up on you!
Wow that sounds absolutely horrible. I have never had this experience and feel you should get ahold of Walmart corporate about this situation.
I agree.also they are inconvienient.will deliver part of the order then pick up the other part
I’ve joined Walmart+ and had groceries delivered three times now, great experience every time!
That is wonderful to hear!