Kroger pickup (previously called “Kroger Clicklist”), is a great way to save on groceries because you can use coupons while avoiding going into the store. The result? Convenience — plus savings!

Here’s how to nail your online grocery order if you have a Kroger curbside pickup location near you, (or even if you don’t — I’m sure you have a Fred Meyer, Ralph’s or Smith’s and this tutorial works for all Kroger affiliate stores).

Don’t forget to download the KCL app to find out about Kroger grocery deals galore.

 

The typical Kroger Pickup fee is temporarily waived — it’s free right now!

Good news — right now Kroger grocery pickup is free. The usual $4.95 fee is waived for everyone. Don’t worry about needing a promo code to use, just place your grocery pickup order and you’ll see the $4.95 fee subtracted when you check out.

Kroger is offering this perk during the coronavirus pandemic, but normally you get your first three orders for free and after that, it’s $4.95 per order.

 

Redeem Ibotta, Checkout51 offers (and more) for extra savings.

You’ll get a traditional receipt from Kroger, so you should have no problem using it for all of these rebate apps.

Ibotta
Ibotta offers are a great way to save in addition to paper coupons. Also, in early May, Ibotta began accepting Walmart grocery pickup e-receipts for their rebates in select markets. KCL confirmed that the Ibotta-Walmart grocery pickup rollout is only the first of many national retailers, coming in the next few weeks.

Checkout51
Add offers from Checkout51 and then tap “Redeem” to take a picture of your receipt.

Fetch Rewards
Take a picture of your receipt and upload it to Fetch Rewards. You’ll get points just for uploading your receipt and Fetch Rewards will automatically add more points if you bought brands they’re currently offering bonus points for.

Makeena
Snap a picture of your receipt and upload it to Makeena to redeem eligible rebate offers.

Coupons.com
Clip coupons in the Coupons.com app, purchase an eligible product, then select the coupon and upload a picture or screenshot of the receipt.

Shopkick
Earn up to 2,500 “kicks” through Shopkick when you buy qualifying products and take a picture of your Kroger receipt. Kicks are points that translate into gift cards when you’ve earned enough of them. You can also earn kicks by scanning products in-store that you don’t intend to buy.

 

RELATED: Your Ultimate Guide to Rebate Apps

 

Kroger curbside pickup prices are the same as they are in-store.

While some stores include a markup if they use a service like Instacart for grocery pickup, Kroger prices are the same whether you place a pickup order online or if you shop in the store.

RELATED: These Grocery Stores Won’t Charge More Online

 

 

If your items are out of stock, Kroger will give you an upgrade.

If one of the items you ordered is out of stock, a Kroger associate will replace it with the same item in a larger quantity, according to their policy. If that brand isn’t available, they’ll replace it with a similar or better product and sell it to you for the original, lower price.

When you get to your pickup, the associate will make sure you approve any exchanges before you pay.

 

Kroger store employees don’t accept tips, saving you 5-10% over Instacart or Shipt.

Unlike Instacart and Shipt stores, Kroger doesn’t accept tips for grocery pickup services. This is money you don’t have to pay compared to an Instacart-powered store like Publix or ALDI.

 

Avoid Wednesday pickups if you’re shopping Kroger weekly sales.

Kroger’s weekly sale cycle is Wednesday through Tuesday every week, so sale prices on Wednesdays reflect the new week’s sales. Kroger’s grocery pickup pricing is finalized when you pick up your order, not when you place it. If you place your order on a Monday or Tuesday for a Wednesday pickup, you might be surprised by items you thought were on sale, not actually being on sale.

 

How does Kroger pickup work?

Here’s the quick and dirty on Kroger grocery pickup:

  1. Place an order through the Kroger app or Kroger.com.
  2. Choose your pickup day and a one-hour arrival time slot.
  3. Add items to your online cart.
  4. Load any applicable digital coupons.
  5. After you place your order, you can modify it (add or delete items) until 11:59 p.m. the day before your pickup.
  6. Arrive at Kroger within your one-hour window, follow the instructions on the sign in your parking stall and pop your trunk, then get back into your car. An associate will come out and load your groceries for you.
  7. Place your Kroger pickup order up to three days in advance.

 

Step 1: Download the Kroger app

If you don’t want to use the Kroger app, you can place your order at Kroger.com too.

 

Step 2: Reserve your pickup slot and choose a time

It’s possible to reserve your Kroger pickup slot up to a week in advance although right now it may be more like just three days in advance, due to high demand (thanks, pandemic).

You can either start the process by reserving a pickup slot, or you can do all your shopping and choose a slot when you’re done instead. If you live in an area where pickup slots are difficult to secure, start your Kroger order with a shopping list in hand and reserve a time slot before you shop.

The app will automatically try to match you with the closest store based on your current location, but if you want a different store, you can change it.

 

RELATED: Everything You Need to Know About the Kroger App

 

Step 3: Add items to your cart and load coupons to your account

You’ll see two ways to do this. First, you can browse coupons and click through a coupon to find the qualifying item, add it to your cart, along with the coupon.

Or shop for items in the app and look for the dotted line and coupon wording like “Save $1.00 on 2,” saying there’s a coupon available on that item.

 

Step 4: Confirm that you’re OK with substitutions

Kroger’s default setting is to check the “Allow Substitutions” box for you, which means you allow substitutions on everything. Go through the list and uncheck items that can’t be substituted if you want to.

If an item isn’t available and you didn’t allow substitutions for it, you won’t get anything and you won’t be charged.

 

Step 5: Add additional items to your order until 11:59 p.m. the day before your pickup

For example, if your reservation is for Friday, 10-11 a.m., you can make changes until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

To modify your order:

  1. Tap “Add items to pending order”
  2. Tap “Modify this order” or “Add to order now”
  3. Tap “Add items to order”
  4. Select items
  5. Tap “Submit changes”

 

RELATED: How Grocery Pickup Works, Simplified for Busy Moms

 

Step 6: Pick up your order

When your pickup hour begins, the Kroger app starts tracking your location so they know when you’ve arrived. When you get to the store, call the number on the sign in front of the parking stall you choose and follow the instructions.

Open your trunk and a Kroger associate will load your groceries for you.

 

 

Step 6: Hand over any paper coupons.

If you have paper coupons, give them to the person loading your groceries. They’ll take the coupons into the store and scan them. Next, they’ll bring you a revised receipt.

Also, any digital coupons you applied to your order won’t show up when you check out online. Instead, the coupon discounts come off the total when you pick up your groceries.

Don’t forget to get your paper receipt if you want to use it to redeem rebate offers!

 

RELATED: Stores That Allow Coupons at Curbside Pickup

 

Kroger Pickup FAQ:

1. Will my paper coupon still apply if the item gets substituted for a different brand?
No. If the coupon doesn’t apply to the new item, you won’t be able to use it. If you only want the item because you can use a coupon for it, uncheck the “Allow Substitutions” box when you place your order. That way, if your item’s brand isn’t in stock, they won’t give you an alternate brand as a substitute.

2. What happens if I’m getting items that are part of a Mega Sale and they’re substituted or out-of-stock?
If you’re trying to get extra savings by taking advantage of a Mega Sale — “Buy five items to get $5 off,” for example — but you can’t get those exact items, substitutions won’t apply toward the Mega Sale deal.

3. What if I don’t like the substitutions Kroger makes?
When the Kroger associate arrives at your car, they’ll review substitutions with you. If you don’t approve of the substitutes, you can refuse them and the associate will revise your total. If you get home and decide you don’t want the substitutions the store made, you can return your items at customer service inside the store.

4. Does Kroger pickup accept EBT?
Kroger accepts credit or debit cards, along with SNAP EBT benefits. You just can’t pay with cash at pickup.

5. Can I buy alcohol with Kroger grocery pickup?
Yes, just bring your government-issued ID and show it to your Kroger associate.

6. How do I know the quality of my meat and produce will be as good as if I chose it myself?
Under each item you add to your order in the Kroger app, you can add notes or special instructions. If you are picky about apples, for example, ask the shopper to double check for no bruises on apples.

7. I don’t have Kroger but I have Fred Meyer (or Fry’s, or Ralph’s or Smith’s or any other Kroger sister store). Is the grocery pickup process the same?
Yes! Kroger has done a good job of creating a seamless grocery pickup experience across all of its sister stores. Apply these instructions to your local Fred Meyer store, even though it’s not called Kroger.

8. What if I can’t pick up my order during the hour I reserved?
Your order will be canceled and restocked. You won’t be charged.

 

Don’t scroll up! Here are the articles mentioned:

These Grocery Stores Won’t Charge More Online
Everything You Need to Know About the Kroger App
How Grocery Pickup Works, Simplified for Busy Moms
Stores That Allow Coupons at Curbside Pickup

 

UP NEXT: Ross Is Reopening with Massive Discounts

Everything You Need to Know About Kroger Grocery Pickup (aka Clicklist)